WATCH: Rafael Nadal keeps Monte-Carlo Masters hopes alive, continues training on clay

Rafael Nadal is back on his beloved clay, firing backhands and forehands in preparation for the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters.

Nadal has been out of action since the Brisbane International in January. Having returned to the court after an injury-plagued 2023 season, the Spaniard cruised past Dominic Thiem in his opening match in Brisbane 7-5, 6-1. That marked his first tour-level win since the 2023 Australian Open.

Nadal's next match saw him beat home favorite Jason Kubler 6-1, 6-2. However, his journey was cut short during the quarterfinal against Jordan Thompson, as he lost 7-5, 6-7(6), 3-6 and also picked up an injury.

That led to his withdrawal from several tournaments, including the Australian Open, the Qatar Open, and the prestigious Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami).

On March 19, Nadal took to Instagram to share a clip of himself practicing on a clay court. The video showed him unleashing some powerful groundstrokes ahead of his appearance at the Monte Carlo Masters, which will be the second tournament of his 2024 comeback.

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Rafael Nadal has won a record 11 titles at the Monte-Carlo Masters

The Spaniard with the Monte Carlo Masters trophy

Rafael Nadal has triumphed in Monte Carlo a record 11 times. In fact, he has reached the final 12 times in his 17 appearances there. Nadal has an impressive 73-6 record in the Principality, translating to a 92.4% win ratio, and amassed more than $7.9 million in prize money.

The Spaniard's first appearance in Monte Carlo came in 2003. He defeated Karol Kucera and Albert Costa in straight sets to reach the Round of 16, where he lost to 26th seed Guillermo Coria 6-7(3), 2-6.

From 2005-2012, the former World No. 1 won eight consecutive titles at the tournament, defeating the likes of his arch-rivals Roger Federer (2006, 2007, 2008) and Novak Djokovic (2009, 2012). The 37-year-old also defeated Coria (2005), Fernando Verdasco (2010), and David Ferrer (2011) in finals.

In 2013, the 22-time-Grand Slam champion defeated players such as Marinko Matosevic, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Grigor Dimitrov, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route to the final, where he lost to top seed Djokovic 2-6, 6-7(1).

In both 2014 and 2015 he failed to clinch the title, losing in quarterfinals and semifinals to Ferrer and Djokovic, respectively. The Spaniard then embarked on another three-year title run at Monte Carlo (from 2016 to 2018), defeating Gael Monfils, Albert Ramos Vinolas, and Kei Nishikori in the finals.

Nadal's latest appearance came in 2021, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Russia's Andrey Rublev 2-6, 6-4, 2-6.