Nadal returns with a win in Brisbane
BRISBANE, Australia – His arms raised triumphantly, unable to conceal a winner’s grin, Rafael Nadal took time to savor a victory that was 12 months and a lot of rehab in the making.
Sure, it was the first round of a season-opening tournament, but it felt momentous for the 22-time major winner because it was only a matter of weeks ago he wasn’t certain he’d be ready to return from a long-term hip injury.
The 37-year-old Spaniard showed no signs of rust at the Brisbane International on Tuesday in a 7-5, 6-1 win over Dominic Thiem, who won the U.S. Open in 2020 and has a career-high No. 3 ranking but is making a slow return from injury himself.
“Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me,” Nadal said. “And to play at the very positive level on the first day is something that probably makes (me) feel proud.
“It’s been the longest period of time without being in a professional tournament since I started my tennis career, so, yeah, it’s an amazing feeling to come back.”
Nadal hadn’t played a singles match at the elite level since a second-round exit at the Australian Open last January. The protracted recovery from a surgically repaired hip didn’t seem to slow him.
He made just a handful of unforced errors, lost only six points on his serve in the entire match and hit some stunning forehand winners. After making the decisive break at 6-5 in the first set, he dominated the latter stages of the match.
Ranked No. 672 and playing on a wild card in Brisbane, Nadal said the last year had been the toughest of his professional career.
Nadal will next play Australian wild card Jason Kubler, who was one set apiece with Aslan Karatsev at 6-4, 6-7 (4) when the No. 8 seed retired injured.