December 31, (THEWILL) – Tennis legend, Rafael Nadal, made his long-awaited return from a hip injury that saw him miss the entire 2023 season, but admitted he lacks the same expectations he once held after losing in the doubles at the Brisbane International.
The Spaniard, alongside compatriot, Marc Lopez, was defeated in straight sets by Australian pair Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, losing 6-4 6-4. Nadal showed glimpses of brilliance but ultimately could not prevent the defeat. He revealed afterwards that after nearly 12 months out he does not hold the same expectations as before.
Nadal suffered the hip injury at the 2023 Australian Open during a shock second round loss to Mackenzie McDonald. It ruled him out for the rest of 2023 and prior to Brisbane he had not played competitive tennis. Drawn against Dominic Thiem in the singles first round, Nadal seemed simply happy to be back on court, rather than holding high hopes.
In other Brisbane action, Andy Murray and Holger Rune lost to Aslan Karatsev and Roman Safiullin in the doubles. After taking the first set, they were defeated in a match tie-break in the second.
With question marks over Nadal’s expectations and form, his opening singles clash with Thiem will give an indication of where he stands ahead of the 2024 Australian Open next month.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
