Rafa Nadal in major update on tennis future after Monte Carlo Masters withdrawal

After withdrawing from the Monte Carlo Masters, Rafa Nadal has his sights set on making his tennis return next week in Barcelona. The Barcelona Open is a tournament where the main court is named after Nadal and it is a venue where he has won the title 12 times.

The Spaniard has not played an official match since getting injured in January but reports suggest he is now set to travel to Barcelona on Wednesday with the hopes of making a return at the ATP 500 event. The 37-year-old was expected to make his return in Monaco this week but was forced to withdraw from the event as he felt his body was not quite ready to compete.

Nadal is expected to announce his retirement this calendar year, with many of the view that his beloved French Open - which he has won 14 times - will likely be the final tournament of his professional career. The Spanish champion skipped the Indian Wells tournament last month, saying he was not "ready to play at the highest level" and then pulled out of Monte Carlo saying his body wouldn't "allow" him to compete. However, he has continued training in the hopes he could play at least one of the lead up tournaments on clay.

RELATED:

• Novak Djokovic stuns tennis world with announcement about coach

• Rafa Nadal announcement stuns tennis world before French Open

According to SER Deportivos, Nadal is eyeing a return in Barcelona, heading to the city on Wednesday ahead of the ATP 500 event that takes place from April 15 to 21. The 22-time 22-time grand slam champion is understood to be struggling with lingering abdominal issues, that are mostly limiting his serving ability.

The news outlet reports that if his body allows following Barcelona, he is also hoping to play in Madrid before sitting out the Rome ATP event the following week. That will then give him time to recover before heading to Roland Garros and then possibly the Olympic Games.

Rafa Nadal pushing to make French Open

Last week, just six weeks before the French Open, Nadal said he was optimistic he would be back before Roland Garros. "The only thing I can do is to accept the situation and try to look at the immediate future keeping the excitement and will to play in order to give me a chance for things to get better," Nadal said.

Nadal has not competed in a clay-court tournament since winning a record-extending 14th title at the French Open in 2022. His last appearance in Barcelona came three years ago when he lifted the trophy, saving a match point to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the tournament’s longest final.