Rafael Nadal could return from a hip injury next week after being named in Spain’s Davis Cup squad.

Nadal, 31, has not played competitively since pulling out of his Australian Open quarter-final against Marin Cilic in January.

He had planned to play in last month’s Acapulco Open before withdrawing, and then pulled out of the ATP Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami.

“Rafa is getting better and training more,” captain Sergi Bruguera said.

he added: “There is still a week and a half for the games to start and there is time.”

Despite not playing since January, Nadal will return to action as the world number one after Roger Federer was beaten in the Miami Open second round this week.

Spain, who knocked Great Britain out of the competition last month, host Germany on Nadal’s favoured clay in Valencia from 6-8 April.

Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta, Feliciano Lopez and David Ferrer have also been named in the team by Bruguera.

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Australian number one Ashleigh Barty will play at the Nottingham Open in June, joining Britain’s Johanna Konta and defending champion Donna Vekic.

The 21-year-old, ranked 20 in the world, will use the event as preparation for Wimbledon in July.

“I feel very much at home on the UK grass courts and always enjoy playing this tournament,” she said.

The Nottingham Open takes place from 9-17 June, with Barty competing for a third season in a row.

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Nick Kyrgios and Spain’s Fernando Verdasco traded insults on social media after the Australian said he wanted his Tour rival to lose at the Miami Open.

Kyrgios called Verdasco “the saltiest dude” as the Spaniard argued with Thanasi Kokkinakis during his last-32 win over Kyrgios’ compatriot.

Verdasco responded by saying Kyrgios ‘lacked courage’ for later deleting his tweet, which also mocked Verdasco’s record against Australian opponents.

The pair could meet in the semi-finals.

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Verdasco, ranked 39th in the world, argued with Kokkinakis in the final set of his 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win after accusing the Australian qualifier’s father of talking during his serves.

The often-outspoken Kyrgios, 22, then tweeted: “I hope TK wins this match, Verdasco is the saltiest dude, must be frustrated at his past success against Aussies.”

Verdasco, 34, had lost his previous six matches against Australian players, including his two meetings with Kyrgios in 2015 and 2016, before beating Kokkinakis.

After the near three-hour match, Verdasco replied: “When you have the courage to put a tweet insulting another player you need to have the same to don’t delete it.”

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British number one Johanna Konta has been knocked out of the Miami Open in the fourth round by three-time champion Venus Williams.

Defending champion Konta, ranked 14th, won the first set but eventually lost 5-7 6-1 6-2.

The 26-year-old had beaten world number eight Williams in straight sets in the semi-finals 12 months ago.

Williams, 37, will play Monica Puig of Puerto Rico or fellow American Danielle Collins in the quarter-finals.

Konta saved set point to turn the first set – which lasted just over an hour – in her favour and take the early advantage.

But Williams, a 10-time Grand Slam singles champion, cruised through the second set to even the score, with Konta requiring a medical timeout before the deciding set.

The Briton hit three aces in a row to save a break point in the third set, but Williams continued her dominant comeback to serve for the match.

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Elsewhere, US Open champion Sloane Stephens eased past Spanish third seed Garbine Muguruza to reach the last eight.

American Stephens – seeded 13th – wrapped up a 6-3 6-4 victory in one hour and 28 minutes.

Germany’s Angelique Kerber joined Stephens in the quarter-finals after defeating Yafan Wang of China 6-7 (1-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3, while Belarusian Victoria Azarenka beat Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-2 6-2.

Fourth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine also advanced with a 7-5 6-4 win over Australian Ashleigh Barty, as did Czech Republic’s fifth seed Karolina Pliskova after Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan retired hurt while trailing 6-2 2-1.