Australian Open chief Craig Tiley hopeful of Rafael Nadal return in 2025 amid hip injury: "Absolutely planning on seeing him next year"

Australian Open chief Craig Tiley is hopeful and 'expecting' a Rafael Nadal return to Melbourne in 2025 albeit in what capacity is currently unknown he admits. The tournament was dealt a blow as the return of the great Spaniard was halted due to injury with a micro tear in his thigh in not the most ideal start to his return year.

That capacity being unknown is due to one reason and that being Nadal said previously that 2024 could be and will most likely be his final year in the sport so the likelihood of him playing in Melbourne next year are very small, but just like previous legends, Tiley wants to bring him back whether he is playing or merely as a spectator or to give him his send-off. He said he will speak to him before he leaves Australia in person.

"I'm absolutely planning on seeing him next year," said Tiley to reporters.

"I'm planning on seeing him tonight for a private catch-up, which we always do, before he leaves town in the next few days and then I'll ask him that same question. But there's no question that I think that Rafa's the kind of player that as long as he's fit and he feels like he's healthy and he can play, he'll be out there playing.

"He loves to play and of course we would love to have him back in Melbourne under any circumstance - whether he's playing or whatever else he's doing. I think the pitch to Rafa is that he has got unfinished business in Melbourne," Tiley added.

"He may say he's got finished business because he won, as you recall, in 2022. But the pitch from me to him is, 'Unfinished business in Melbourne, the fans want to see you, we're expecting to see you'.

"But it's entirely up to him. We'll support whatever decision he makes. We'll see if we can find a way to get him back, He needs at least two to three weeks of taking a break and going through rehab before he can compete,"

"Rafa's the kind of player, he's not going to enter an event unless he knows he's going to be 100 per cent fit to win it.".