In just two weeks, Rafael Nadal will be making his much-awaited comeback at the Brisbane International, which begins on December 31. The tournament will be a warm-up for the Spaniard, ahead of the Australian Open. The veteran has been out of action since last January when he hurt his hip flexor during a second round defeat at the Australian Open.
Commenting on Nadal's return, Ivan Ljubicic, who is Roger Federer’s former coach and current of the French Federation, predicted that he expected 'great things' from the 37-year-old. Ljubicic revealed that he had a conversation with French player Arthur Fills, who trained with Nadal for a week. The Croatian said that Fils revealed that Nadal was playing 'at a very high level'.
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Speaking to La Gazzetta, he said, "Nadal's return will not be a presence of old glory. Fils, the French tennis player that I follow through the Federation, trained with him this week in Kuwait. He has written to me and told me that he is playing at a very high level. I still expect great things from Nadal."
Ljubicic also feels that Jannik Sinner is Novak Djokovic's main rival for 2024, and not Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev. Sinner is the current men's world no. 4 and was also voted as the 2023 ATP Fans' Favorite, which saw him become the first non-Major title holder to clinch the laurel. He had a career-best 2023 season, winning four titles, with a 64-15 win/loss record in pro-tour matches.
{{/usCountry}}Ljubicic also feels that Jannik Sinner is Novak Djokovic's main rival for 2024, and not Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev. Sinner is the current men's world no. 4 and was also voted as the 2023 ATP Fans' Favorite, which saw him become the first non-Major title holder to clinch the laurel. He had a career-best 2023 season, winning four titles, with a 64-15 win/loss record in pro-tour matches.
{{/usCountry}}"Right now Sinner is Djokovic's first rival, I see him ahead of Alcaraz and Medvedev. But tennis lives in moments and with winter preparation everything starts from scratch. But Jannik is among the Top," he stated.
The Brisbane International will be a huge test for Nadal's fitness, but if Ljubicic's words are true, then we could see some vintage action from the Spaniard this year, especially at the Australian Open.