Rafael Nadal To Play In Abu Dhabi And Doha

Written by: Staff on 26th November 2012

Rafael Nadal To Play In Abu Dhabi And Doha

epa03363827 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal during an interview with Spanish Press Agency EFE in Manacor, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, 17 August 2012. Nadal has talked about his mood after he decided not to take part in the US Open Grand Slam tennis tournament due to his injured knees. EPA/MONTSERRAT T DIEZ |

Doha tournament director Karim Alami says Rafael Nadal is on the way to the Gulf to start his ATP season on the last day of the year. The former ATP player told the region’s The Peninsula newspaper: “Nadal is returning to competitive tennis since his knee injury at Wimbledon so everyone is looking forward to seeing what he brings.”

The 26-year-old No. 4 Spaniard will not have played for six months due to his lingering knee injuries by the time he gets to Doha, which begins the 2013 ATP season.

Nadal is now also due to start at the rich Abu Dhabi exhibition form December 27-29 to pick up some petty cash after his long absence from the courts.

World number one Novak Djokovic and US Open champion Andy Murray are due to play Abu Dhabi, with Roger Federer skipping the Middle East events in the run-up to the January 14 start of the Australian Open.

Nadal last played in a second-round Wimbledon loss in late June. He began training last week, with a brief session in front of television cameras at an indoor court on his home island of Mallorca and pronounced himself on the road to full recovery.

Nadal, down to fourth in the world, would be top seed in Doha, which begins December 31 in a field which also includes fellow Spaniard David Ferrer and Frenchmen Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Abu Dhabi tennis tournament, Andy Murray, Doha tennis tournament, Gael Monfils, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Sports, Tennis News