Rafael Nadal, who was sidelined from action since January 5, is all set to make a second return in 2024 as the world No. 1 on Monday officially announced that he is all set to play in the Barcelona Open. The former world No. 1 earlier returned to action at the Brisbane International, in the opening week of the year, where he played two matches, before incurring a fresh hip injury. He later withdrew himself from the Australian Open, and subsequent hard-court tournaments and eyed a return in Monte Carlo Masters, but pulled out in the 11th hour, saying, "my body simply won’t allow me."

Nadal, who will be playing his first professional match on clay court after 680 days since lifting the French Open title in 2022, is back on court with the simple aim of just enjoying his time on court and the chance of playing at home.

“I’m happy to be here,” said the Spaniard, who is a 12-time champion at the Conde de Godó event. “I have many very good memories of this tournament. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to be here in recent years. Luckily I was able to come here as a last-minute decision. I think, all things considered, the week of training has been positive. Tomorrow I will be on court.”

Ahead of Rafa's big return to his most cherished court, we run through everything you need to know about his first match at the Barcelona Open...

When is Rafael Nadal playing in Barcelona Open?

Nadal will play his first-round match on Tuesday, April 16. The match has been scheduled on main court, named after the Spaniard himself in 2017, and is likely to start at 7:30 PM IST.

Who is Rafael Nadal playing in the first round of Barcelona Open?

The 'King of Clay' has been drawn to face 21-year-old Flavio Cobolli in the first round of Barcelona Open. This will be their first professional meeting on the ATP tour.

What does Rafael Nadal's draw look like in Barcelona Open?

If Nadal, who is ranked at No. 644 in the world and used his protected rankings to make the main draw, goes through the opening round, he will likely face fourth seed Alex de Minaur in the second round, followed by Arthur Fils in the third round while Monte Carlo winner Stefanos Tsitsipas sits in the same half of the draw.

Where to watch Rafael Nadal's first-round match in Barcelona Open on TV and live streaming in India?

There will be no live telecast of Rafael Nadal's first-round match in Barcelona Open on any TV channel in India. The match can, however, be live-streamed on the subscription-based tennistv.com platform in India.

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