BRISBANE, Australia — Rafael Nadal had warned his legion of fans to temper their expectations surrounding his “impossible” return to tennis, and although his first professional match in almost 12 months ended in defeat, there were many signs to suggest that the Spanish superstar May feature prominently on what is shaping up to be his final tour of Australia.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion returned to the court for the first time in 347 days on Sunday at the Brisbane International, teaming with compatriot Marc López in men’s doubles, a combination that brought Spain gold at the 2016 Olympics. However, the duo were outclassed by the Australian team of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, who won 6-4, 6-4 in just 73 minutes.
While reaching the finish line of this match unscathed should have been the first important box for Nadal to tick, there were plenty of other reasons to be encouraged by his performance. Nadal, who arrived in Brisbane looking lean and fit, showed no signs of rust and claimed his first service game within two minutes to delight the crowd.
Nadal’s mobility also did not appear to be hampered in any way. He was comfortable tracking balls from behind the baseline, something confirmed by his pre-tournament comment that his body felt “much better than expected.” Nadal also showed good timing on several crosscourt backhands, cat-like anticipation at the net and was almost perfect with his volley.
But the most significant thing about Nadal’s return may well have been the enjoyment he seemed to get from simply gracing the court once more. A smile appeared on his face from the moment he walked into Pat Rafter Arena, and it never went away. And it’s not difficult to understand why.
Nadal had been sidelined since injuring his left hip flexor during a second-round loss to American Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open in January. It was a devastating blow for Nadal, who had entered the Slam as the reigning champion and lasted just 36 hours before suffering another injury setback.
It was not a completely new injury for Nadal, who had battled several hip-related problems throughout his career. Nadal would undergo arthroscopic surgery to clean the fibrotic and degenerated areas of the tendon, in addition to stitching it to reinforce and strengthen the tissue. Nadal’s surgery also included repair of the labrum in his left hip, which he had injured the previous season. Ultimately, his rehab would force him to miss nearly all of 2023, the longest injury layoff of his brilliant career.
“If I thought about retiring during that period of time, of course I did. I went through a lot.” [that were] “Pretty bad,” Nadal confessed in Brisbane when asked if he was considering retiring during his extended layoff. “I didn’t miss the competition, because during all this time my body was not prepared to compete. What I missed was being healthy; waking up and not having pain.
“At some point I decided to move on. Then I started working day by day without thinking much and doing the things I had to do. It is impossible to think about winning tournaments today. What is really possible is to enjoy the comeback. I didn’t expect much : a year without being on the court.”
Nadal’s encouraging doubles hit follows impressive practice sessions against old rival Andy Murray and world No. 8 Holger Rune, the latter praising Nadal for how quickly he has been able to regain his speed.
“The intensity he brings is incredible. I have been playing a very intense preseason and a very intense end to the season.” [but] That was probably the toughest practice I’ve had in the last half year,” Rune said of Nadal. “We were hitting and he was hitting hard, then we started the points and I thought he was moving really well. I thought he played amazing.”
Nadal’s focus will now turn to Tuesday’s singles, where he will face 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem, who had to go through the qualifiers in Brisbane, in the first round. Nadal owns a 9-6 record against Thiem, although the two have not met in more than three years.
Nadal’s comeback tour is unlikely to last for an extended period, as the 37-year-old has already stated that the 2024 season will “probably be my last year on the professional tour.”
Nadal will most likely play the French Open in May, a tournament he has won a record 14 times, return to Wimbledon in July and make next month’s Olympics in Paris the final event of his illustrious career.
“I can’t have very long-term goals because I don’t see myself playing for a long time,” Nadal said. “I don’t know how things are going to go. I’m not a player who tries to predict what can happen. I need to accept adversity and that it’s not going to be perfect, just come with the right spirit every time.” day.”
