Rafael Nadal's potential return to tennis spoiled by Novak Djokovic as Serb's win sees Spain eliminated from Davis Cup 2023

Rafael Nadal won't be able to make his comeback at this year's Davis Cup as Spain have been eliminated from the group stage of the tournament's finals after Novak Djokovic's win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Nadal has been out of action since suffering a hip injury during his second-round defeat at the Australian Open. After missing out on several key tournaments, the Spaniard announced in a press conference that he would not compete at the French Open and would take a break from tennis.

Nadal also claimed that the Davis Cup could be a potential return date for him, stating:

"I'm not going to set a return date. When I am ready, I'll try to be there. The Davis Cup, at the end of the year, can be an objective."

However, there is zero chance of him competing in the tournament due to his country's premature exit.

Spain, who have won the competition six times, had a poor start to the Davis Cup Finals as they lost 3-0 to the Czech Republic in Valencia. They then took on Serbia at the same venue and found themselves 1-0 down after Laslo Djere beat Albert Ramos Vinolas 6-4, 6-4.

The next fixture was between Novak Djokovic and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Djokovic won 6-3, 6-4 to ensure Serbia won the tie and booked their place in the quarterfinals. The win also meant that Spain were out of the tournament.

Nadal has been a key player for Spain in their Davis Cup history and won the tournament with them four times. He first won the competition in 2004 when he was only 18 years old.

The Spaniard helped his country win the Davis Cup in 2009 and 2011, winning all four of his matches in the finals of the two editions. Nadal's fourth Davis Cup win with Spain came in 2019, with his win over Denis Shapovalov in the title clash confirming their victory.

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Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni claims Spaniard plans to make return at Australian Open 2024

Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open 2023

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni claimed lately that his nephew was recovering and was planning to make his return to tennis at next year's Australian Open.

“Rafa is good, recovering. If all goes well he wants to return to the court for the 2024 Australian Open," Toni Nadal told El Desmarque.

Nadal's prolonged absence from the ATP Tour has seen a huge drop in the rankings. He fell out of the top 200 for the first time since 2003 after being unable to defend his points from last year's US Open.

Nadal is currently ranked 239th in the world and fans will be eager to know when he will make his return to the ATP Tour.