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”Nadal said: “Thanks to everyone who was there for me all year.”
Long break after hip flexor surgery
Nadal recently had the Australian Open played in January 2023 and then underwent hip flexor surgery. He is currently only ranked 672nd in the world, thanks to his “Protected Ranking“-Status, he didn’t have to compete in the qualification. Against Thiem, who was in the final thriller of the 2020 US Open his only one in New York against Alexander Zverev Grand Slamtitle, Nadal converted his first match point after 1:29 hours.
“I missed feeling healthy and being competitive. I’m very grateful,” said Nadal, who showed no signs of physical problems 349 days after his second-round exit in Melbourne, when he was hunched over in pain and lost in three sets against the American Mackenzie McDonald.
Strong movements
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 expect nothing”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.”
French Open as a big goal
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 Openhe wants to secure the historic title number 15 in June – rise in the same position Stade Roland Garros also the tennis competitions at the Paris Olympic Games.
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.