The Spaniard has been hampered by a thigh injury which forced him to retire in the fifth set of his Australian Open quarter-final against Marin Cilic last month.
That followed a knee problem which brought an abrupt end to his 2017 season at the World Tour Finals in November and forced him to miss several events.
But Nadal travelled to the Mexican island of Cozumel last week to begin intensive training ahead of the Mexican Open, where he will make his return from his latest absence.
Nadal is co-owner of two resort hotels on Cozumel and has travelled to the island every year in February since 2013 – practicing on hidden-away courts similar to those in use at Acapulco.
The 16-time Grand Slam winner will travel to Mexico’s Pacific coast later this week with the first round beginning Monday February 26.
Nadal lost No 1 status to long-time rival Roger Federer this week after the Swiss ace’s Rotterdam Open triumph.
But he cannot regain top spot in Acapulco despite the likelihood of Federer sitting out the Dubai Duty Free Championships.
The 31-year-old will instead have to wait until at least the ATP 1000 Masters event in Indian Wells, where Federer is expected to return in order to defend his title, to try and regain his No 1 rank.
Nadal – who has won the hard-court Mexican Open in 2005 and 2013 – was shocked by American Sam Querrey in the final last year and has 300 points to defend.
World No 3 Cilic, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem are among the other seeded entrants.