According to the Spanish website, Marca.com, Rafael Nadal will go sleeveless at this year’s Australian Open for the first time since 2008. The plan is for Nadal to wear the sleeveless look on and off in 2018. Here’s a snippet from Marca’s article on the subject.
“A sleeveless shirt was already ready for the US Open 2014 edition, which Nadal missed due to a wrist injury. Both the world number one and Nike were studying the best moment to impact with an elastic with less fabric, inspired by the sunset and the technology to combat the Australian heat, and that it was a return to the past. The moment has arrived and will be at the Australian Open 2018. That does not mean that Rafa only plays sleeveless at Melbourne Park. The idea is to alternate clothes with and without sleeves throughout this season.”
Reportedly Nike and Nadal have been looking for an opportunity to go sleeveless, and they were planning to do so in 2014 for the U.S. open before the Spaniard was forced to pull out of the event.