Rafael Nadal will kick off his 2022 season in Abu Dhabi at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship between December 16-18. Nadal is a five-time Mubadala champion.

Nadal skipped the 2021 US Open due to a foot injury. He underwent treatment on his foot and has been rehabbing in recent weeks. Nadal has spent limited time on the court recently and is working hard to regain full fitness ahead of the 2022 Australian Open.

Roger Federer hasn’t played tennis since the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. He underwent knee surgery and was seen in crutches at the Laver Cup.

Federer fans got false hope that Federer will compete at the Australian Open from Darren Cahill. Cahill later clarified that Federer is working hard but is not certain to compete at the Australian Open.

Given the injury recovery times that Federer has discussed in the past, his return to courts is still several months away.

While Federer and Nadal were recovering from injuries, their rankings have slipped. Nadal is currently ranked 6th in the world, and Federer is ranked number 16.

Young players such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, and Hubert Hurkacz have moved up in the rankings and will pose a significant challenge to Federer and Nadal once they return.