Rafael Nadal has revealed he will make a last-minute decision over whether he will return to action in Doha next week.
The Spaniard missed almost the entirety of 2023 after undergoing hip surgery and withdrew from last month's Australian Open with an injury in a similar area.
Nadal crashed out of last year's Australian Open in straight sets against the unseeded USA star Mackenzie McDonald.
It was the last time tennis fans got to see the 22-time Grand Slam champion in singles action in 2023.
Rafael Nadal has given an update on his recovery from a hip injury
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Nadal made a comeback in a doubles match at the Brisbane International on New Year's Eve, losing alongside Marc Lopez.
He won his first singles match against Dominic Thiem at the same tournament and beat Jason Kubler in the second round.
Nadal didn't drop a set in those two matches as he prepared for the first major of the year in Melbourne.
But in his quarter-final loss to Jordan Thompson in Brisbane, he sustained a muscular injury in his hip.
Nadal was forced to skip the Australian Open and is yet to return to the court.
It emerged late last month that he was on the entry list for the Qatar Open in Doha, which starts on February 19.
However, the 37-year-old's participation in that event is still far from certain.
Nadal has opened up on the mental toll his recent injuries have had on him.
He says he is determined to play at Indian Wells in March as well as prioritise the clay-court season but does not yet know if he will be making a return in Doha.
As quoted by Relevo, Nadal said: "I have had some discomfort in recent weeks and I am a little bit on the limit.
"At this point, every blow I take, every injury, is a setback, not only in tennis and physically, but also mentally.
"I trust 100 per cent to be in Indian Wells, it is a very special tournament for me. I don't know if it will be the last time I am going to play it, so I would like to be in Indian Wells, for sure.
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Rafael Nadal says he hopes to be back at Indian Wells next month
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"I would love to be in Doha, but I will see the decision for Doha more at the last minute. I will travel to Indian Wells if there is nothing wrong, for sure.
"My priority goal, which is what I said from the beginning, is to get to the clay season as healthy as possible. I want to try to give myself the option to enjoy the clay season."
Former seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Mats Wilander recently said Nadal needs match practice to give him the best chance on the clay court this year.
Wilander told Eurosport: "I think he probably needs matches. He needs to be in the environment of other players.
"Even though he's been there his whole life, the problem for him is not the temperament of playing a match, it’s just to hit with guys that are on tour, just to be in the locker room as he's been away for so long.
Rafael Nadal isn't sure if he will compete at the Qatar Open next month
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"It doesn't really matter to me, if he goes to Doha and he wins a match or two.
"It's more just the experience of being around, preparing for three, four days definitely matters.
"The surface is a risk. I don’t remember him getting injured on a clay court.
"But he’s maybe on his last year and if he's going to do well at the French Open, he needs to play a lot of matches, just be in that competitive environment again."
