Rafael Nadal Injury Update: ‘Rafa’ Sets January Return in Abu Dhabi

Rafael Nadal confirmed that he will return to action in January after missing the 2014 ATP World Tour Final following a surgery to remove his appendix.

Nadal said in an interview with Gulf News that he will compete at the 2015 Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 1-3 and at the 2015 Qatar Open in Doha the following week.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion will compete against big-name players like Novak Djokovic, Stanislas Wawrinka, Andy Murray, Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Gael Monfils at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, one of the favorite tournaments of the Spanish tennis superstar.

"It's unfortunate that I had to miss the end of this season, but the time off will allow me to become even more focused on what I want to accomplish in 2015," Nadal said. "I have missed a couple of opportunities to play big competitive matches now so playing in Abu Dhabi in January for me is really important."

Nadal, who also underwent stem cell treatment on his ailing back, said that he does not want to miss the Abu Dhabi tournament, where he won the title in 2009 and 2011.

"I've got history here, which makes the event even more special to me," Nadal said. "The crowd is always full of energy, which makes us want to play even better, and with this type of competition format we have to be on our game the entire three days. I hope the crowds will be in for some great action on court."

Nadal bagged his ninth French Open title this year, but the Spaniard, who has won at least one Grand Slam title per season over the past 10 years, has been hobbled by injuries this year.

The Mallorca, Spain native struggled to find his rhythm in the final of the 2014 Australian Open against Wawrinka because of an ailing back. Nadal also spent a long spell on the sideline from July to September due to a wrist injury, which forced him to skip his title defense at 2014 U.S. Open.

Nadal recently played in Beijing, Shanghai and Basel tournaments, but he suffered from appendicitis, which ended his campaign this season despite attempts to delay surgery.