The 35-year-old Spaniard, who won the only tournament in 2009, tweeted a photo of himself in an empty space in Melbourne Park with the comment “Don’t tell anyone … … here I am”.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion tested positive for Covid-19 after returning home from an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi and saying he had “experienced some awkward moments”.
A number of other players who have been to Abu Dhabi also tested positive, including Russia’s number five in the world, Andrey Rublev, women’s Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and US Open winner Emma Raducanu.
Nadal’s arrival will give the organizers of the season’s first Grand Slam tournament, which begins January 17th, a boost.
🤫 Don’t tell anyone … … here I am 😉 https://t.co/x1F2BJnH3y
– Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) 1640938018000
Whether the number one in the world rankings Novak Djokovic will play is still questionable.
The 34-year-old retired a few days before the start of the ATP Cup team event on Saturday. Doubts about defending the Australian Open title grew.
Djokovic, a nine-time champion in Melbourne, has refused to confirm whether he has been vaccinated against Covid-19 because all participants must be vaccinated or have a medical exception.
The field in Australia was ravaged by injuries, with superstars Serena Williams and Roger Federer as well as Dominic Thiem, Jennifer Brady, Karolina Pliskova, Bianca Andreescu and Karolina Muchova dropped out.
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