Australian Open announces return of Spaniard Rafael Nadal to the tournament

“We can reveal that Rafa will be back. He’s been away for most of the year, and speaking to him in the last few days, he’s confirmed that he’s going to be back (at the Australian Open), which we’re very excited about. It’s unbelievable,” Tiley said on Channel 9’s “Today” show.

Nadal, who had already announced that next season could be his last in tennis, “will want to win”, as he did in 2009 and 2022, the businessman stressed.

The 37-year-old Spanish tennis player “won’t come to the tournament if he doesn’t think he can win it. He’s not just coming to play, he’s coming to win,” Tiley said of the 22-time Grand Slam winner.

The Australian said that, in addition to the Spaniard, the return of other great figures in world tennis, such as Japan’s Naomi Osaka and Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, is expected.

The next Australian Open starts on Sunday, January 14, and will last for 15 days, one more than in previous editions, to ease the load of matches and excessive schedules for players.