‘Soil God’ is alive and well.
Rafael Nadal plays against Jason Kubler in the singles round of 16 at the Men’s Professional Tennis (ATP) Tour held in Brisbane, Australia on the 4th. /AFP Yonhap News
Former world number one tennis player Rafael Nadal (38, Spain, world number 672), who returned to the court after being absent for about a year due to injury and rehabilitation, ranked 16th in singles at the Men’s Professional Tennis (ATP) Tour event held in Brisbane, Australia on the 4th. In the semifinals, he defeated Jason Kubler (31st, Australia, 102nd) with a set score of 2-0 (6-1 6-2) and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Nadal won five games in the first set, preventing Kubler from pursuing him early on. With light body movements and quick footwork, he moved around the court and displayed both a spear and a shield at the same time. Kubler was taken aback by his patented forehand stroke, which had a spinning force that made him spin like a top that had just been thrown to the floor. Nadal, who pushed unilaterally, won in 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Nadal, who returned a year after suffering from back and hip injuries at the Australian Open in January last year and ending the 2023 season early, defeated 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem in his return to singles at the official tournament held on the 2nd (round of 32). (31st, Austria, 98th) continued their momentum by defeating them 2-0. Nadal will compete with Australia’s Jordan Thompson (30th, 55th) to advance to the semifinals in the quarterfinals held on the 5th.
Rafael Nadal plays against Jason Kubler in the singles round of 16 at the Men’s Professional Tennis (ATP) Tour held in Brisbane, Australia on the 4th. /AP Yonhap News
Nadal participated in this tournament to check his skills ahead of the Australian Open, the first major tournament of the season, which opens on the 14th. Although he repeatedly says, “I don’t expect anything from myself,” he is showing off his competitiveness and raising expectations for this year’s tour.
In the French Open, held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, a clay court, he is called the ‘Soil God’ by winning 14 times, the most in a single major tournament, and in the four major tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open), he has reached the summit a total of 22 times. Nadal is looking to conclude his brilliant career at this year’s French Open and Paris Olympics. He announced that he would retire after the 2024 season.
2024-01-04 10:09:11
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