Rafael Nadal to play Madrid Open after recovering from rib injury

Tennis living legend Rafael Nadal has been out of action since he suffered a rib stress fracture at Indian Wells in March, and the official ATP website notes that the issue was set to sideline him for roughly four to six weeks. 

That timeline will allow Nadal to return to competitive play weeks before the French Open gets underway on May 22. 

As explained by The Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Nadal confirmed via a statement shared on Twitter that he will play at the Mutua Madrid Open that begins on Sunday. 

Nadal initially sustained the injury during the semifinal round at Indian Wells but nevertheless faced American Taylor Fritz in the final. The 35-year-old fell to Fritz and has since missed several tournaments while recovering. 

Nadal made history in January when he became the first man to win a 21st career Grand Slam via his Australian Open triumph. Ahead of that competition, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer all had 20 Grand Slam titles on their résumés. 

Per Reuters, Nadal resumed training back on April 18.