![](\"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1704024479_851_Rafael-Nadal-loses-in-return-wont-rule-out-playing-beyond.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center.jpeg\")
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“The problem with saying this will be my last season is that I can't predict 100 percent what will happen in the future,” Nadal said before his doubles match with partner Marc Lopez. “That's the problem. That's why I say probably.”<\/p>\n
Nadal, 37, has not played since suffering a hip flexor injury at last year's Australian Open, which ultimately required surgery in June. The 22-time Grand Slam champion said he wanted to wait to see how his body responds to this season before making a final decision about his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously this will be the last time I play in Australia with a high percentage,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if I'm here next year, don't tell me, 'You said this would be your last season,' because I didn't say that.<\/p>\n
“You never know what happens, you know? I can't predict how I'm going to be in the next six months. I can't predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed the past . 20 years.”<\/p>\n
Nadal was warmly welcomed by fans who waved Spanish flags and messages of support in a packed Pat Rafter Arena. Nadal and Lopez lost 6-4 6-4 to Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, but the loudest cheers were reserved for Nadal's whip shots and a powerful crosscourt backhand winner in the first set.<\/p>\n
Nadal will likely receive a similar reception in his first singles match on Tuesday against qualifier Dominic Thiem, whom he beat in the 2018 and 2019 French Open finals.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to see Rafa again,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cI\u2019ve been a victim a few times in singles, so it\u2019s good to have him back on a doubles court.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nadal has previously said he expects 2024 to be his final season and admitted he considered retirement during his lengthy injury absence this year.<\/p>\n
“If I thought about retirement during this time, of course, yes. I've been through a lot [that were] not bad,” he said. “I didn't miss the competition, because all this time my body was not ready to compete. What I lacked was being healthy; wake up and not be in pain.<\/p>\n
“At some point I decided to continue. Then I started working day after day without thinking much and doing the things I had to do. It's impossible to think about winning tournaments today. What's really possible is to enjoy the return. I don't expect much \u2013 a year without being on the pitch.”<\/p>\n
In an interview earlier this month with Spanish newspaper El Pais, Nadal said he was already thinking about this year's French Open, where he has won 14 of his major titles, and indicated he would then more clarity on its future.<\/p>\n
“When I arrive in Paris, I will know if it is my last year. And there will be a prior announcement,” Nadal told El Pais, which published the interview on Sunday. \u201cFive months will have passed on the circuit and I will know my reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
ESPN's Jake Michaels and Reuters contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rafael Nadal loses in return, won’t rule out playing beyond 2024\u060c Rafael Nadal returned to action for the first time in almost a year and refused to rule out the possibility of him continuing to play beyond the 2024 season. Playing his first competitive match since last January, Nadal lost his doubles match on Sunday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[946,2346,1563,6390,625,4093,1852],"class_list":["post-17367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-sports","tag-loses","tag-nadal","tag-playing","tag-rafael","tag-return","tag-rule","tag-wont"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17367"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17368,"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17367\/revisions\/17368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wikidollar.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}