Nadal to make injury return at Madrid Open while Federer set for comeback at home

Path cleared for Djokovic to compete at Wimbledon after organisers announce vaccination won't be mandatory

Rafael Nadal after beating Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final at Melbourne Park on Sunday, January 30. AP

Rafael Nadal kisses the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after beating Daniil Medvedev. EPA

Rafael Nadal in front of photographers after his victory. AFP

Winner Rafael Nadal alongside runnner-up Daniil Medvedev. Getty

Rafael Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in a five-set epic at Melbourne Park for his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title. EPA

Rafael Nadal celebrates after beating Daniil Medvedev Reuters

Rafael Nadal after clinching match point against Daniil Medvedev. Getty

Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after beating Daniil Medvedev of Russia. Reuters

Rafael Nadal after beating Daniil Medvedev. Getty

Rafael Nadal after beating Daniil Medvedev. AP

Rafael Nadal with Daniil Medvedev after the Spaniard clinched victory. Reuters

Daniil Medvedev during the final. Reuters

Rafael Nadal hits a return against Daniil Medvedev. AFP

Daniil Medvedev after winning the second set. AP

Rafael Nadal celebrates winning the fourth set. Reuters

Daniil Medvedev plays a shot during the final. EPA

Rafael Nadal celebrates winning a point. EPA

Rod Laver Arena during the final between Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev. AFP

Rafael Nadal plays a backhand return. AP

Daniil Medvedev after winning a point. Getty

Rafael Nadal plays a shot at Melbourne Park. EPA

A frustrated Rafael Nadal after losing a point to Daniil Medvedev. AP

Daniil Medvedev and Rafael in action during the final. Reuters

An unhappy Daniil Medvedev talks to chair umpire John Blom. Reuters

Australian Open champion Rafa Nadal announced he will make his return from a month-long absence due to injury at this week's Madrid Open.

Nadal, 35, last played in the final of Indian Wells against Taylor Fritz on March 20 and had suffered a stress fracture in his rib during the tournament. That forced him to miss claycourt events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

"Despite arriving just before the tournament and preparation being difficult, I really want to play at home since the opportunities are few," Nadal wrote on Twitter.

"So I'm going to try to do it in the best way I can. See you in Madrid."

The former world No 1's return to action comes little under a month before the French Open, where he will be aiming for a record-extending 14th title. The claycourt major gets underway on May 22.

Meanwhile, organisers have announced that Roger Federer, who has been plagued by knee problems for the last two years, will play singles at the ATP Basel indoor tournament in October.

Federer hasn't played competitively since losing last July in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon to Pole Hubert Hurkacz. He replied to the organisers' Instagram announcement with the message: "Looking forward to playing back home."

"After a two-year break due to the pandemic, the Swiss Indoors Basel will return to the ATP Tour in the fall of 2022," organisers said in a statement.

"10-time singles champion and hometown hero Roger Federer has announced his comeback to the stadium at St. Jakobshalle."

Federer, who turns 41 in August, is also due to play in the three-day team event Laver Cup with Nadal in London in September.

Also, Novak Djokovic will be allowed to defend his title at Wimbledon, despite not being vaccinated, because the shots are not required to enter Britain, All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said.

Djokovic, 34, missed the Australian Open in January after being deported from that country because he was not vaccinated against the illness.

During the annual spring briefing ahead of Wimbledon, which starts on June 27, Bolton said: “As you will be aware, the requirement set up by government to enter the UK do not include mandatory vaccination. Therefore, whilst, of course, it is encouraged, it will not be a condition of entry to compete.”

Djokovic, in addition to being unable to defend his championship at Melbourne Park after an 11-day visa saga in Australia, had to sit out tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami because he couldn’t travel to the United States as a foreigner who is unvaccinated.