Rafael Nadal set to return to DDFTC after 15 years

Rafael Nadal will return to the Dubai Tennis Championships in February after a 15-year absence, thrilling fans in the Middle East. With the 22-time Grand Slam champion currently in Melbourne for the Australian Open, it was announced on the official website of the ATP 500 event that the Spaniard has committed to playing there after the end of his stint in Australia.

Nadal, the DDFTC men’s champion in 2006, last appeared at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in 2008. Since then, he has established himself as one of the greatest male players in tennis history, winning a record 22 Grand Slam titles. Currently ranked No.2 in the world, Nadal will return for the annual ATP 500 event, which runs from February 27 to March 4.

This year, the tournament in Dubai is scheduled to take place from February 27 to March 5. Speaking on the occasion of the announcement, Dubai Duty Free's CEO and Executive Chairman Colm McLoughlin lavished praise on the Mallorcan, calling him one of the "most decorated" and "instantly recognizable" players in global tennis.

McLoughlin recalled how Nadal only had three Grand Slam titles to his name the last time he was in Dubai. He took pride in the fact that the southpaw will now grace the courts there as the man with the most Major titles in the history of the sport.