Rafael Nadal was considerably more anxious than normal before his first comparable match in nearly a year because it was his longest break from the game in his professional career.
Rafael Nadal celebrated his victory, which had taken 12 months and extensive rehabilitation to achieve, with his arms raised in triumph and a winner’s smile on his face.
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Even though it was only the initial round of the season-opening competition, the 22-time substantial winner felt it was significant because, just a few weeks prior, he wasn’t sure he would be ready to make a comeback from a chronic hip injury.
At the Brisbane Worldwide on Tuesday, the 37-year-old Spaniard defeated Dominic Thiem, who achieved the U.S. launch in 2020 and holds his highest-ever No. 3 ranking but is recovering slowly from his own injury, 7-5, 6-1, demonstrating no signs of rust.
“Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me,” Nadal stated. “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 time since I began playing professional tennis without competing, so returning is undoubtedly an incredible feeling. Nadal hadn’t played a singles match at the elite level since last January and a hip injury in a second-round exit at the Australian Open. That time off didn’t seem to slow him.
With just six service points lost during the entire match, Rafael Nadal, 37, made very few unforced errors and produced some incredible forehand winners.
After taking the first set 6-5, he made the crucial break and went on to win eight of the next nine games to fully control the match. With a ranking of 672 and a wild card into the Brisbane Open, Rafael Nadal said that the past 12 months have been some of the hardest of his career as a professional.
“You go on court and you have more nerves than usual because you [are] really at the end [of rehab and] hope that you’re going to play at this level, but inside yourself you know that [it] can be a disaster and that, of course, worried me.”
His low mistake rate, his ability to manage the game, and his physical condition following his first attempt at returning to the top level all pleased him.
“I didn’t make a lot of bad decisions choosing the shots that I have to play, and that’s something difficult after such a long time,” he stated. “Something that I’m happy with.”
When the No. 8 seed stepped down hurt, Jason Kubler of Australia, who was tied with Aslan Karatsev beginning at one set apiece at 6-4, 6-7 (4), will take on Rafael Nadal.
For the second day in a row, rain stopped play on the outdoor courts, but it continued inside the Pat Rafter Arena. Yannick Hanfmann, ranked 51st in Germany, defeated Sebastian Korda, ranked fifth, 7-5, 6-4, in the first match of the day.
In the second round of the women’s draw, Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, lost to Arina Rodionova, ranked 113, 7-5, 7-6 (7).
The 34-year-old Australian Rodionova, ranked outside of the top 100, gave Kenin, ranked at No. 14, constant pressure on her serve even though she had opportunities in both sets.
Former Australian Open and Brisbane International champion Victoria Azarenka was hit twice while serving to force a fifth match point, which she eventually converted on to defeat Anna Kalinskaya a score of 6 7-6 (8).
“It’s never easy to wrap up a first match,” Azarenka stated. “Definitely a few things to work on, but I’m pretty happy with a first win.”
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