Nadal returns after nearly a year

Australia After 347 days of injury, former world number one Rafael Nadal returned at the Brisbane International, playing doubles with Marc Lopez and losing to Jordan Thompson/Max Purcell 4-6, 4-6.

The doubles match on December 31 was Nadal's first official event since being eliminated in the second round of the Australian Open in January 2023. The "King of Clay" and his 41-year-old senior Marc Lopez did not have a break point throughout the match, and lost two games in each set. The pair, who won the gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, are now aging and cannot keep up with their two younger opponents in many situations.

Nadal during his first round men's doubles match at the Brisbane International at Pat Rafter Arena, Australia. Photo: Reuters

As Nadal's pre-tournament practice partner Holger Rune had noted, Nadal moved with the same ease and power he had before his hip surgery. The Spaniard started brightly, holding his serve for just two minutes. He and his compatriot Lopez were left in the lurch as their opponents served and played well at the net for the remainder of the match.

In addition to the positive signs from his physical condition, Nadal also showed a comfortable mentality when he often smiled during the match. "It's great to see Nadal back," Thompson said after the 73-minute match.

Nadal will play his first singles match in nearly 12 months on January 2. His opponent in the first round of the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane will be former world number three Dominic Thiem. Nadal and Thiem have met 15 times, with the Spaniard winning nine. The last time they faced each other was in the group stage of the 2020 ATP Finals, with Thiem winning in two tiebreaks. If Nadal beats Thiem in the first round of Brisbane, he will likely face Aslan Karatsev in the second round.

Nadal is currently ranked 672nd in the world. He has been training intensely for the past month and has been in Brisbane since December 27 to prepare for his first comeback in 2024. After the Brisbane International, Nadal will compete in the Australian Open - a Grand Slam he won in 2022.

Vy Anh

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