The 11-time Grand Slam winner has not played since suffering a knee injury during his second-round loss to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June last year.

　　The event will be Nadal's first in Brazil since he won the same tournament - his second career title - as an 18-year-old in 2005.

　　"I am very happy to be going back to play in Brazil," Nadal told Spain's TV3 on Tuesday. "I am especially happy to come back two weeks earlier than I had planned. That means that things are going well."Nadal had planned to make his comeback at the Australian Open in Melbourne but was forced to withdraw due to a stomach virus.

　　The 26-year-old's six-month absence from the ATP circuit has seen him slip to No. 4 in the world behind Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

　　The Brazil Open, to be played in Sao Paulo from February 9-17, is Brazil's only ATP tour event.