"I missed being healthy and waking up without pain to have the opportunity to enjoy a normal life. And when I started to feel ready I knew I would be impatient to get back on the courts," Rafa Nadal (37) happily proclaimed on the morning of this Sunday, just a few hours before facing his first competitive tennis match in 347 days.
The Mallorcan trained with the American talent Ben Shelton before appearing at a press conference and focusing on the doubles match with which he would certify his return. Nadal was paired with his 'brother' Marc López and lost to the Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, a consolidated duo in the sport. Although the result was the least of it.
"If I didn't have the determination and passion I wouldn't be here," he had anticipated. And so it was, even lacking rhythm he was seen involved in the game and wanting to add minutes on the court to his battered body.
That the public was also eagerly awaiting his return could be seen in Brisbane. The Australian fans gave Nadal a spectacular ovation when he formalized his entry onto the court. The kind that makes your hair stand on end.
Then, accompanied by his friend, former teammate and current coach Marc López, 41, the Mallorcan returned to compete on a tennis court almost a year after losing in the Australian Open, in the second round of the 2023 edition against the American Mackenzie McDonald in three sets and was injured in the iliac psoas of his left leg, which marked the beginning of a nightmare, a blank season, plagued by physical setbacks that kept the winner of twenty-two Grand Slams away from the circuit.
The Spaniard, who accumulated 209 weeks as number one, jumped back onto the court and now, from position 672 in the ranking, is invited by the organization to play a doubles match that he lost, against the Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, a consolidated duet in the modality.
Warmly received by those present on the Pat Rafter Arena court at the Queensland Tennis Centre, Nadal and López, Olympic champions in Rio 2016, fell in this first round match 6-4 and 6-4.
It was the least of it. The important thing was that, 347 days after the last time, Nadal felt like a player again. To compete. To smile, to play with the balls between points. To enjoy. To accumulate one hour and fourteen minutes on the track.
There was uncertainty, eternal waits, speculation and suspicions of retirement now cornered after the return to activity of the 37-year-old Spanish player who has returned to the slopes to take hours of flight just on the day in which, in addition, his tour of Brisbane's individual draw. He will face the Austrian Dominic Thiem, former number three in the world and with whom he has already played fifteen times. With whom he trained days ago on this same stage, as well as with the Danish Holger Rune, the main favorite, or the British Andy Murray.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, champions in Houston and finalists in Atlanta this year, the first two-time finalist in Melbourne and Wimbledon champion in this modality and the second winner of this competition in 2017 along with Kokkinakis, put their victory on track with a break in the sixth game of the first set, with Nadal serving, which they consolidated to close the set (6-4). The second set maintained balance until the seventh. The local duo, who did not give up their serve throughout the match, broke with Marc López on serve. There was no comeback from the Spanish team and they closed the game.
Purcell and Thompson will play in the second round against Croatian Nikola Mektic and Frenchman Hugo Nys. Meanwhile, Nadal will do his thing, focused on the individual draw and his debut on Tuesday, in a tournament that he has only played once, in 2017 and which he did not win, beaten by the Canadian Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals.
