Barcelona, Nov 17: The comeback is on, officially. After weeks of speculation, Rafael Nadal has delighted tennis fans by confirming that he will return to action in 2024 after all.

The Spaniard spoke to media on Wednesday at an event in Barcelona at the Clinica del Tenis, run by his sports physician, Dr. Angel Ruiz Cotorro, and gave positive updates on the progress of his recovery and comeback.

“I sincerely believe that I will return to play,” Nadal said, according to Marca. “I can’t say at what level I’ll be able to return, but I’ve never lost the desire to play and now it seems that things are going in the right direction.”

While Nadal fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he will hit the courts at some point next year, that’s about as specific as the 37-year-old was willing to get on Wednesday. Nadal kept mum on his upcoming schedule, and notably didn’t name an event nor provide a timeline for his return to the ATP Tour.