Rafael Nadal urges fans not to ‘demand the maximum’ as Spanish veteran targets return to the court at Brisbane International from December 31

When Rafael Nadal returns to court in Brisbane later this month, he will be in 'uncharted territory' and will try not to 'demand the maximum of himself'.

The 37-year-old Spaniard has not been on tour since January this year, when he hurt his hip flexor during a second-round defeat at the Australian Open.

He underwent arthroscopic surgery in Barcelona in June.

Nadal said in a video on social media on Monday that he hopes to feel “those nerves, that illusion, those fears, those doubts” again on the court at the Brisbane International.

“I've been afraid to announce things because at the end of the day it's a year without competitions and hip surgery,” he said.

When Rafael Nadal returns to the court in Brisbane this month after almost a year out of the sport with a hip injury, he will be in 'uncharted territory' and will try not to 'demand the maximum' of himself

The Spaniard's epic career is coming to an end after winning 22 Grand Slam singles titles

“But what worries me most isn't the hip, it's everything else.

“I think I'm ready and I trust and hope that it will go well and that it will give me the opportunity to enjoy the track.”

Nadal said he also knows things can be different after so much time without competition.

'I expect myself not to expect anything. This is the truth. To have the ability to not demand of myself what I have demanded of myself throughout my career,” he said.

'I believe I am at a different time, in a different situation and in uncharted territory.

'I've internalized what I've had all my life, which is to demand the maximum of myself, and what I really hope now is that I can't do that, not demand the maximum, that I accept that things will go well. very difficult at first and giving myself the necessary time and forgiving myself if something goes wrong at first, which is a very big possibility.'

Last May, just over a week before the French Open, Nadal announced he was missing the tournament that has given him 14 of his 22 Grand Slam tournaments.

He then said he hoped to compete in the competition in 2024, which he expected would be his last season.

Nadal concluded his message on Monday, saying things could change for the better in a “not too distant future” if “I keep the illusion and the spirit of the work” and if his “physique” responds well.