January 02 (THEWILL) – Tennis legend Rafael Nadal showed little signs of rust in his first professional match in nearly a year at the Brisbane International. The 37-year-old Spaniard, sidelined with a hip injury since last January’s Australian Open, edged out 2022 US Open finalist, Dominic Thiem, in straight sets 7-5 6-1 on Tuesday.
Despite his lengthy break, Nadal displayed his trademark court coverage and skill. Thiem pushed him early, but Nadal claimed eight of the last nine games, losing only six points on serve all match. “The first set was equal, with both of us serving well,” Nadal remarked after the win, his first tour victory since January 2023.
Nadal was pleased to be back competing at an elite level after enduring his longest career gap between tournaments. He acknowledged the difficult rehabilitation from injury over the past year. “Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career,” an appreciative Nadal stated.
The Spanish great will look to build momentum in the next round against Australian Jason Kubler. Nadal, currently ranked No. 672, received a wild card entry to the Brisbane event. With his latest triumph, Nadal now sits fourth on the all-time match wins list with 1,069, moving past Ivan Lendl. Only Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are ahead of him.
At 37 years old, Nadal proves he still has the drive and skill to compete with the best. If he stays healthy, 2024 could see the spirited veteran add more trophies to his illustrious career collection.
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.
