Rafael Nadal spotted training in the gym as he continues recovery for 2024 last dance

Rafael Nadal is working hard at getting ready for his return to competitive tennis, as recent Instagram stories of him practicing in a gym indicate.

Nadal underwent arthroscopic surgery to check his left psoas muscle in early June, with the first prognosis putting him on the sidelines for around five months. That meant he had to pull out of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, after already losing to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open while injured.

About two and a half months after the surgery, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was spotted doing gym work again at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, much to the delight of his fans.

The Spaniard had previously said he was aiming to return to competition in 2024, which would most likely be the last year of his career.

"My idea, and my motivation, is to try to enjoy and try to say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me in my tennis career during this year (2024), and just try to enjoy that, being competitive and enjoying being on court (which) is something that today is not possible," Nadal said in a press conference in June 2023.

The 37-year-old currently sits as the World No. 140, but he will probably lose his ranking if he doesn't compete at the season-ending ATP Finals, where he defends 200 points from 2022.

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Rafael Nadal won't come back if he's not ready to win, thinks former World No. 10 Juan Monaco

Rafael Nadal at the 2018 US Open

Juan Monaco, a former World No. 10, recently claimed that Rafael Nadal will not return to the tour unless he thinks he can win again. The Argentine believes Nadal will have the goal of winning tournaments in mind if he returns to competitive tennis.

"I think if he decides to return, to train hard to return to the tour is to win. If he doesn’t, he won’t come back. [If he does win], I don’t think so!" Monaco told Clay.

Monaco also doesn't think Nadal is sure to retire in 2024, and that the decision is yet to be fully made.

"I don’t think so, I honestly don’t think [he’ll say goodbye]. He’s going to set the limit for himself. I know him a lot, and I think that if he prepares to come back, he prepares to win, he doesn’t prepare to make the quarter-finals," he added.