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Rafael Nadal will finally\u00a0make his long-awaited return at the Brisbane International before intending to play the Australian Open. After almost a year on the sidelines, the Spaniard has been trying to tame expectations for his comeback. But former pro Sebastien Grosjean believes the 22-time Major winner could follow in Roger Federer\u2019s footsteps with instant success, spelling trouble for current big contenders like Novak Djokovic.<\/p>\n
Nadal is making a comeback at the start of 2024, almost 12 months after he picked up a left psoas injury in Melbourne that ended his season. It\u2019s his longest break from competition and has left the 37-year-old apprehensive about what he can achieve when he gets back on tour.<\/p>\n
Former world No 4 Grosjean is more optimistic about Nadal\u2019s chances, however, explaining that champions are often able to find their rhythm when they return from long layoffs. \u201cI\u2019m a fan of Rafa, I love the champion and the man, so I\u2019m delighted, it\u2019s great that he\u2019s coming back. It\u2019s a good sign, it\u2019s good. I can\u2019t wait to see him again,\u201d he told L\u2019Equipe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll see how he recovers, we\u2019ll see him train. If he announced his return for Brisbane and Melbourne, it is because, on a physical level, he is there.\u201d Grosjean also cited Federer\u2019s comeback in 2017.<\/p>\n
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive tennis news.<\/strong><\/p>\n Just in <\/strong> Emma Raducanu comeback confirmed as Brit signs up to new tournament[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n The Swiss star ended his 2016 season in July with a knee injury. He then won the Australian Open when he returned from a six-month hiatus, marking his first Grand Slam title in almost five years. It was just the start of a dominant year, which also saw Federer win Wimbledon and five other titles, going 54-5 in matches throughout 2017.<\/p>\n The Frenchman added: \u201cThese champions, once they return to competition, they find the rhythm. Federer did it after Wimbledon [in 2016] \u2013 the [knee] operation, six months of absence and, behind that, he won the Australian Open and Wimbledon [in 2017].\u201d<\/p>\n It will be bad news for the likes of Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz if Nadal can get into that groove when he returns. The pair are arguably the favourites for any Grand Slam they enter at the moment but the 37-year-old could spoil the party with a heroic comeback story.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/72\/590x\/secondary\/5103374.jpg?r=1701942348675\")
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