Rafael Nadal is set to begin his 2019 season and play his first official match since he was force to retire in the semifinals of the 2018 U.S. Open. The Spaniard is seeded No.1 at next week’s Brisbane tennis and he is slated to face either a qualifier or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga after a first-round bye.
Nadal lost a three-setter to Kevin Anderson at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi on Thursday and then promptly withdrew from his consolation match, saying that he needed to be careful about preserving his health ahead of the season.
"It's important for me to protect the body and to avoid tough circumstances," he said. "I know I have time to be ready for Melbourne at 100 percent."
Nadal joins a star-studded draw that includes second-seeded Kei Nishikori, third-seeded Kyle Edmund, fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev and more. If the seeds hold, Nadal will face last year’s runner-up Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals.
Andy Murray is also in the draw and will open with James Duckworth in round one. If he wins he'll face fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev next.
Nadal is making his second career appearance at Brisbane. In 2017 he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Milos Raonic in three sets.