Tennis icon Rafael Nadal didn’t look like he had spent nearly a year away from the match as he beat Dominic Thiem 7-5, 6-1 at the Brisbane International on Tuesday in Australia.
Nadal, 37, had not competed in an elite-level singles match since suffering a hip injury at the Australian Open last January, but his mobility did not appear to be hampered. He lost only six points on his serve and won eight of the final nine games of the match.
“The first set was even, we were both serving well and winning more or less on serve,” Nadal said. “I was able to make this break at 6-5, so that made the difference. Honestly, I know Dominic has also been through some tough times with injuries, so I’m happy to see him on the pitch and wish him the best for the season.
Nadal noted that it had been the longest period of his career without participating in a professional tournament. It was his first victory since defeating Jack Draper in his opening match at last year’s Australian Open.
“Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the most difficult years of my tennis career, without a doubt,” Nadal said. “I was lucky enough to come back after a year and play in front of an incredible crowd and play, I think, at a very positive level.
“The first day is something that makes us proud. Myself, the entire team and family who have been there every day over the past year.
It was Nadal’s 1,069th victory at tour level, overtaking Ivan Lendl for fourth place in the all-time men’s rankings behind Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
The Spaniard, ranked No. 672 and playing with a wild card in the tournament, will next face home wild card Jason Kubler. The 30-year-old Australian was tied with Aslan Karatsev at 6-4, 6-7(4) on Tuesday when the No. 8 seed withdrew due to a knee injury.
Nadal gives remarkable performance in singles return
Even for a 22-time Grand Slam champion, the bar for Nadal in his opening match was extremely low.
There are many people in Nadal’s team, starting with his coaches and trainers, who were happy to see him finish a match standing after everything he has been through.
Through the final eight months of the 2022 season and the first few weeks of last year, that was hardly guaranteed. One injury added another. A cracked rib. The return of chronic foot pain. An abdominal tear. Knee problem. Then the trendy disaster of the second round of the Australian Open which for a long time seemed to put an end to his career.
Just a few weeks ago, Nadal looked into a camera and said he had no idea what would happen when he returned to the court.
“I expect myself to not wait for anything. This is the truth,” he said. “I believe I am at a different time, in a different situation and in uncharted territory.”
And then on Tuesday night in Brisbane, so much seemed familiar, especially since his opponent was Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion who once seemed poised to join Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the top of the sport. Thiem is a shadow of his former self, but Nadal once again showed those whipping and curling forehands, those characteristic strategic charges on the court to finish points and the relentless desire to chase the balls that so many others give up.
Given Nadal’s history, it won’t take much to make the Spaniard’s countless fans hope that the Nadal of yesteryear is upon us. Maybe he is. Maybe it will be 2022 again, when Nadal recovers from his season-ending injuries to win the title.
That’s probably too much to ask. A season opener, a straight-sets, first-round win over a faded former champion is one thing. Five sets against the Djokovics, Carlos Alcarazes and Jannik Sinners of the world is something else entirely.
More days that end on your feet. More matches and tournaments in what will likely be a farewell season. This should be enough to count as a win. — Matthew Futterman, senior tennis writer
Required reading
(Photo : Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images)
2024-01-02 18:25:32
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