Having not played on tour in nearly a year after undergoing hip surgery in June, 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal claims a 7-5, 6-1 comeback victory to edge former US Open winner Dominic Thiem, progressing to the second round at the ATP 250 tournament, Brisbane International presented by Evie.
After the captivating clash, Nadal, who entered the event with a wild card, remarked: “Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career without a doubt.”
On Tuesday evening, the Spaniard hit the Pat Rafter Arena to play World No. 98 Thiem on a comeback road from a wrist injury in 2021, their 16th encounter at tour level.
Speaking about the former World No. 3, Nadal outlined: “I think the last year has been a positive year for him because, after a tough time, he was able to comeback to the Top 100. Something that is not easy.
“He starts the year again with the ambition to make a positive year and to finish the year with a much higher ranking. That, I think, is something that should happen if he is healthy.”
The 37-year-old from Manacor took a tight first set 7-5, showcasing an impressive level of tennis, moving well, rock solid behind his serve, winning 90 percent of the points on his first serve and 80 percent on his second, physically fit and healthy.
In the second set, he sized the moment, stepping up the pressure, breaking his opponent’s serve three times en route to close out 6-1, achieving his first win on tour in 349 days after one hour and 29 minutes.
Moreover, the 92-time ATP titlist scored his 1069th tour-level victory, surpassing tennis legend Ivan Lendl, and will face off against home hope Jason Kubler in the second round on Thursday.
Kubler, 30, beat eighth seed Aslan Karatsev, who retired mid-match after setting level by taking the second set, apparently due to a knee injury.
Cautious when talking about his expectations for the season, which can be his last, the Spanish player commented: “For me, the main thing is to stay healthy. I really think that I didn’t forget how to play tennis.”
“The only thing that’s going to be difficult is to make it in a professional match and at a very high level of tennis. Because in the end, you need to recover movement, something that takes time.”
Adding: “You need to recover the speed and read the ball and [doing] things in an automatic way…
“You need hours on court, hours in a practice session, but at the same time, hours in professional matches.”
“I [didn’t] know what could happen today. It’s a day to be happy. A happy day for me. I have a day off tomorrow to keep practicing. I am excited to have the chance to play another time. That’s, for me, the most important thing.”