Rafa and Doha looks to be a go: Rafael Nadal on the ATP 250 entry list

There was some question about Laura Robson’s report last week that Rafael Nadal would make his tour return in Doha. The lucrative ATP 250 stop begins February 19, and Nadal is dealing with a muscle injury suffered earlier this month in Brisbane—his first tournament since January 2023—one that would force him out of the Australian Open.

It appears that Robson was right, and Rafa’s coming back.

The fairly loaded field includes Top 5 players Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, six other Top 30 talents and, way down at the bottom, the 446th-ranked Nadal:

The 37-year-old has played Doha eight times in his career, winning it in 2013 and finishing runner-up in 2010 and 2016.

His last appearance in the Qatari event was in 2016, when he defeated four players ranked outside the Top 65 before losing a lopsided final to Novak Djokovic, 6-1, 6-2.

“Clearly the injury isn’t that bad,” reported the 29-year-old former player during a Eurosport hit from Melbourne.

If Laura Robson’s reporting is accurate, Day 1 of the Australian Open was a win for Rafael Nadal fans, even though their favorite player didn’t enter the tournament.

During a hit for Eurosport from Melbourne, the 29-year-old former player told viewers that the veteran Spaniard, who withdrew from the season’s first Slam with a “micro tear on a muscle,” could be back competing on tour in about a month’s time.

“Being boots on the ground, I’ve been chatting away to some Spanish coaches over the last 48 hours,” said Robson, “and last I heard the plan was for [Nadal] to restart in Doha, which is actually just around the corner.”

The Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha begins on February 19, and the speedy return would jive with Nadal’s comments that “this is not very bad news and we all remain positive with the evolution for the season.”

“Whether he actually plays [Doha], we’ll see, but the fact that he’s even hopeful to be out there that quickly after withdrawing from the Aussie Open is really great news,” reported Robson.

Last we saw Nadal, he was in discomfort during his Brisbane quarterfinal against Jordan Thompson, after scoring his first two match wins since January 2023.

“Clearly the injury isn’t that bad, he’s going to manage it,” said Robson. “Whether he actually plays [Doha], we’ll see, but the fact that he’s even hopeful to be out there that quickly after withdrawing from the Aussie Open is really great news.”

Doha is a hard-court tournament, and if Nadal does return to action in February, he could elect to compete on clay in South America. Some analysts believe that Nadal would choose to resume playing on his preferred surface, rather than potentially endure additional wear on hard courts.