Rafael Nadal confirmed on Monday that he will return to action on Tuesday in the Barcelona Open on Tuesday.

Nadal called a press conference on the first day of the event he has won 12 times to say he will compete for the first time in almost three months, after another injury setback had prevented him from competing in January's Australian Open.

Rafael Nadal of Spain competes during the men's singles quarterfinal match against Denis Shapovalov of Canada at Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 25, 2022. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

"I am happy to be here as I have a lot of good memories of this tournament," he said, explaining he had come as a last-minute decision. "I have had a good week of training and I am going to be on court tomorrow [Tuesday]," he confirmed.

37-year-old Nadal has already hinted he will retire at the end of the year, and his words in Barcelona did nothing to change that view.

"At this situation in my career, I am in a different situation, and rather than lament what I have missed, I would rather be happy to be here. I am taking this as my last year and I want to enjoy every moment and give it a special feeling."

"I try and manage the situation with my injuries as well as possible, we know what there is and I will continue until it's not worth doing so."

"I am not going to set a limit, but life marks the way for you and I will try and do the most logical thing," he said.

The veteran said it was a shame that Carlos Alcaraz, who many see as his successor, won't compete in Barcelona due to a problem with his forearm.

"It's bad news for the tournament to lose the top seed in my half of the draw, but I'm still not ready to think about the semifinals," commented Nadal. 

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