Rafael Nadal is back. The Spanish tennis star is celebrating a strong comeback in Brisbane.
Rafael Nadal, overjoyed, threw his arms in the air and was celebrated by the enthusiastic audience in Brisbane. Almost a year after his last match, the Spanish tennis king has made an impressive return to the tour. The 37-year-old defeated the Austrian Dominic Thiem convincingly 7:5, 6:1 and presented himself physically at his peak after a long period of suffering.
“This is an emotional and important day for me. It was one of the hardest years of my career. Playing here makes me proud,” said Nadal: “Thanks to everyone who was there for me all year.”
Nadal last played at the Australian Open in January 2023 and then underwent hip flexor surgery. He is currently only 672nd in the world rankings, but thanks to his “Protected Ranking” status he did not have to compete in the qualification. Against Thiem, who won his only Grand Slam title against Alexander Zverev in the final of the US Open in New York in 2020, Nadal converted his first match point after 1:29 hours.
“I’ve missed feeling healthy and being competitive. I’m very grateful,” said Nadal, 349 days after his second-round exit in Melbourne, when he hunched over in pain and slipped in three sets against the American After Mackenzie McDonald lost, there was no sign of any physical problems.
Tennis: Nadal experienced a “difficult” start
Nadal moved well, played to his strong forehand and dominated his own serve. Thiem became more prone to errors in the second set and had nothing to counter the Mallorcan. In the round of 16, Nadal will face local hero Jason Kubler.
Before his comeback, Nadal had curbed the euphoria himself. “I expect from myself that I don’t expect anything,” he said slightly cryptically and spoke of a “difficult” start. But after months of hard work in rehab and training, he could say with certainty: “I feel much better today than I expected a month ago.”
The Australian hard courts should initially only serve as a benchmark on the way to higher goals. Nadal should be aiming for his top level again by early summer at the latest. The temptations of the new season are great. At Nadal’s absolute favorite tournament, the French Open, he wants to grab the historic title number 15 in June – the tennis competitions of the Paris Olympic Games will also take place at the same location in the Stade Roland Garros.
At the end of 2024, Nadal could finally be over – even if he still leaves a loophole open if things go better than expected. “Why should I set a limit for myself?” he asked recently. On Tuesday he immediately showed that he was still a force to be reckoned with.