Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he will be making his comeback in Madrid after injuring himself in Indian Wells. The world No 4 has been out for almost six weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his rib but will now return at next week’s Masters 1000 event with the French Open looming.

Nadal confirmed he would be sidelined for four to six weeks after fracturing his rib during his Indian Wells semi-final, and has now announced that he will be back in action at next week’s Madrid Masters. But the Spaniard doesn’t appear to be completely in the clear, as he admitted he had arrived before he was fully prepared to compete again.

“Despite arriving just before preparation and being difficult, I really want to play and play at home since the opportunities are few,” he tweeted on Tuesday. “To try to do it in the best possible way. See you in Madrid.”

It comes after his uncle and former coach Toni Nadal admitted that the 21-time Major champion was planning to travel to Madrid and decide whether he would compete based on his form and fitness. The five-time champion in Madrid only returned to a tennis court for the first time in four weeks last Monday, and is already set to compete again.

Sharing a photo of himself on the clay courts at his Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca last week, he wrote: “Today after 4 weeks without stepping on a tennis court, first soft training. What an illusion to step on the earth again!"

His academy then shared some footage of the man dubbed the ‘King of Clay’ practising his forehands while rallying on Thursday. Nadal has already been warned about coming back as early as next week with the French Open looming.