Rafael Nadal set to make his comeback in Qatar Open after missing out on Australian Open
Rafael Nadal looks set to make his comeback at the Qatar Open in February, having been included in the tournament's entry list.
The Spaniard returned to action after almost a year at the Brisbane International, and reached the quarterfinals following straight-set wins over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler. Here, he took on Jordan Thompson and lost 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-3 despite having a match point.
The King of Clay suffered a micro tear in his hip region during that match, which resulted in him missing the Australian Open. However, Nadal is set to return to action in February at the Qatar Open in Doha during the Middle Eastern swing.
The Spaniard has been included in the entry list of the ATP 250 event along with some quality players like defending champion Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Andy Murray. The likes of Karen Khachanov, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Alexander Bublik will also be competing in Doha.
Nadal's absence from the Australian Open will see him fall to 647th in the ATP rankings. While the Spaniard is not in Melbourne Park, he has been busy. Nadal recently signed a deal with the Saudi Tennis Federation to become an ambassador. He also caught up with his rival and friend Roger Federer at his academy in Mallorca.
Rafael Nadal won one title at the Qatar Open
Rafael Nadal has often competed at the Qatar Open, with one title to his name. He made his debut in 2005 and reached the quarterfinals of the tournament that year before losing to eventual runner-up Ivan Ljubicic.
His second appearance in 2009 also resulted in a quarterfinal exit, this time at the hands of Gael Monfils. The Spaniard reached the final in 2010 before being beaten 0-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 by Nikolay Davydenko.
He endured semifinal exits in 2011 and 2012 before winning his only title in Doha in 2014. Nadal triumphed over Lukas Rosol, Tobia Kamke, Ernests Gulbis and Peter Gojowczyk before beating Gael Monfils in the title clash.
The King of Clay's most recent appearance at the Qatar Open came in 2016 when he was seeded second. He defeated Pablo Carreno Busta, Robin Haase, Andrey Kuznetsov and Ilya Marchenko to reach the final. Here, Nadal was beaten 6-1, 6-2 by Novak Djokovic.