Nadal returns to training

Former world number one Rafael Nadal has returned to training after recovering from a knee injury.

The Spaniard withdrew from his semi-final at March's Sony Ericsson Open in Miami with a knee injury and has not been in competitive action since. Many believed it was a recurrence of the tendonitis that plagued him throughout 2009 but he rejected these claims saying it was just a slight twist. He has now confirmed his return to training, posting on his Facebook page: "I started to train on clay at the Manacor tennis club, to prepare myself for the Monte Carlo and Barcelona tournaments." The 25-year-old has won the Monte Carlo event for the last eight years and is also the defending champion at the tournament in Barcelona. He will now be hoping his knee holds up under the strain ahead of the French Open in May, where he'll be hunting his seventh Roland Garros title.