Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, made a successful singles comeback after nearly a year out due to injury. Nadal defeated Austria’s Dominic Thiem in the first round of the Brisbane International with a score of 7-5, 6-1.
Nadal had been sidelined since injuring his hip during the Australian Open in early 2023. Returning to competitive tennis on Sunday, he experienced a doubles defeat while partnering with retired veteran Marc Lopez but displayed promising moments of his top form.
The Spanish tennis star, who underwent hip surgery in June 2023, showcased his competitive spirit in the match against Thiem, reminiscent of their previous French Open finals.
After the victory, Nadal expressed the emotional significance of the day, stating, “Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career.”
Nadal acknowledged the support of the crowd, saying, “I missed being healthy and feeling competitive, playing in front of full crowds that have been amazing all my career here in Australia,” Nadal added. “I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Securing his 1,069th men’s tour-level victory, Nadal surpassed Ivan Lendl, placing him fourth in the all-time list.
Reflecting on the milestone, Nadal stated, “As you can imagine, today it wasn’t a statistic I was aware of.”. He continued, “I had enough work just to be focused and come back on court and remember how to play in a competitive match. There were nerves and doubts before the match. But things went well, and I’m excited to be back.”