"Rafael Nadal a little better everyday": Uncle Toni gives injury update, hints at possible Australian Open return 

Rafael Nadal has not played a competitve match since the Australian Open in January, but if uncle Toni's words are anything to go by, the Spaniard could well be back on court Down Under at the start of next year.

Speaking to Onda Cero in a recent interview, Toni Nadal said his nephew is known to be "cautious" in the way he approaches his tennis. He went on to share a positive update for fans, saying he has seen the 22 Grand Slam champion get better with each — noting that the Australian Open comeback was very much a possibility.

"My nephew tries to be cautious, which is what he has to do," Toni Nadal said. "But I think that in the Australian Open my nephew normally has to be able to play because I have seen him train."

"Every day he gets a little better," he continued. "It is true that it has been "It's a very long injury, but hey, it is what it is."

Circling back to the hip injury that has sideline Rafal Nadal from the sport for months now, his uncle said high-level sports constantly demand players to push their bodies to he limit and they eventually get used to living with the "pain".

"It is a high-level sport, in the end it is almost mandatory to play with pain," Toni Nadal said. "Unfortunately, because you push your body to the limit and taking it to the limit is what makes you have all these problems."

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"Situation is complicated" - Uncle Toni on Rafael Nadal's prospects at Australian Open

Rafael Nadal at the 2023 Australian Open.

Rafael Nadal's uncle said the fans may need to adjust their expectations, given that the possible comeback at Australian Open could prove "complicated" for the two-time former champion.

Toni said the draw will pose a serious challenge for Nadal, who, given that he will be unseeded in view of ranking drop, can find himself playing some top names in the early rounds itself.

"Rafael Nadal is aware that the situation is complicated," Toni Nadal said. "Let's say he manages to reach Australia, it will not be easy to compete again with an added problem."

"He will not go seeded and from the first moment you can get a high-level player." he added.

The Spaniard's uncle went on to add that Nadal, being a momentum player, needs a couple of easy wins to build his confidence going deeper into a tournament — which might be hard to come by in Melbourne next year.

"Rafa when he plays a Grand Slam when at the beginning he has an affordable opponent," his undle said. "He starts to gain momentum and is dangerous from the quarterfinals onwards."