Share

Nadal confirmed for Brisbane International

Brisbane - New world number one Rafael Nadal will return to play in the Brisbane International ahead of the Australian Open early next year, organisers said on Sunday.

The 15-time Grand Slam champion will take the top rankings spot when the official ATP rankings are released on Monday.

It will be the first time the Spaniard has hit the top rankings spot since 2014.

Nadal played in Brisbane for the first time in January and the 31-year-old went on to reach the Australian Open final in Melbourne where he lost to Roger Federer.

"I'm very happy to be back, last year for me was the first experience and was very successful," Nadal said in a statement.

"The atmosphere is great and there's a lot of nice people supporting the event. I really enjoyed the experience."

Nadal's matches attracted record attendances and organisers said more than a million people around the world tuned in online to a live stream of his first training session in Brisbane.

Nadal's return to the top of the rankings follows his win at Roland Garros for a record 10th time.

The Brisbane International takes place from December 31 to January 7.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE