‘Here I am’

Rafa Nadal confirmed his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title on Friday by posting a picture of himself at Melbourne Park on social media and allaying fears that he could miss next month's Australian Open.

Nadal caught the novel coronavirus while playing in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi this month and said he would make a decision on his future tournaments depending on his "evolution" over the weeks ahead.

"Don't tell anyone ... here I am," Nadal, who is tied on a men's record 20 major titles with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, said in a Twitter post showing him standing on the Rod Laver Arena court.

Nadal, 35, played in Abu Dhabi after spending four months on the sidelines with a long-term foot problem. He was knocked out at Roland Garros in the French Open semi-finals and was forced to pull out of Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and the U.S. Open.

The positive COVID-19 test cast further doubt on whether the Spaniard would play at the Australian Open -- a tournament where he has won once and been runner-up four times.

Nadal will be expected to kick off his preparations for the Grand Slam by returning to the tour for the first time since August at the ATP 250 event in Melbourne from Tuesday.