Rafael Nadal has been here many times before. Throughout his 23 years as a professional tennis player, the 37-year-old’s career has been defined as much by incessant injuries as it has by his supreme success. Nearly every part of his body has betrayed him at some point, yet each time he fell, he found his way back to the top.
For Nadal and a group of prominent players, as a new year begins on the ATP and WTA tours, this is comeback season. Over the coming weeks, an unusual number of grand slam champions will return, hoping to shake up the competition and upend the order established in 2023.
