Almost a year later Rafa Nadal smiled again. He made his debut in the individual draw against the Austrian Dominic Thiem and with great tennis, he managed to win in two sets (5-7 and 1-6) in an hour and a half of play. His contained celebration as soon as the game ended gave way to emotion. In front of his family and his team, the Mallorcan returned to the slopes and did so through the front door: “It is a very emotional day. It has been one of the hardest years of my career and being able to return and play at a good level, for the first day, is a source of pride for me,” he confessed excitedly from the center court. “I have missed all this,” he acknowledged while thanking the support received throughout this difficult year.
The doubles match a couple of days ago with Marc López was the appetizer. A first contact after 347 years in dry dock due to the unfortunate injuries. Today, he smiles again. Curiously, his last match in an individual draw was also in Australia. She fell to the American Mackenzie Mcdonald in the Australian Open, the last major tournament that Manacor played before having to leave the courts due to her physical problems.
Against Thiem, he returned in style. With great tennis and supported by an audience that was eager to see one of the best tennis players of all time again. He crashed his first serve into the net and although some attributed it to the nervousness of having been in the dry dock for eleven and a half months, Rafa Nadal put an end to any hint of doubt. The first point went to the Spaniard, drawing a standing ovation from Pat Rafter, and also the first game, giving the Austrian a blank game.
The first set was a constant exchange of blows at the level of the two great stars on the court. A true early finale. 1-1, 2-2, 3-3... neither wanted to give in, but Nadal put it one more gear to close the first set with infallible tennis. An intensity that also helped him start the second set with a 0-3 partial, putting Thiem on the ropes. The Austrian tried to react and closed the gap, but it was just a mirage. He was touched and Nadal finished sinking him with an impeccable set: 6-1.
He had been blank for almost a year, so the Spaniard had to attend the Brisbane tournament as a guest. Along with Thiem, who moved away from third position in the ranking also hampered by injuries, they were two of the stars of the tournament, in the absence of the greatest. The Brisbane tournament is the prelude to the Australian Open and most of the headliners are reserved for the first Grand Slam of the year. The public expected a lot and the duel between the Balearic and the Austrian did not disappoint. Two tennis players who were at the top and who are now trying to return to the top. For the Mallorcan, at 37 years old, this could be his last season on the slopes, although you never know with him. Not even the nightmare he has experienced with his iliopsoas problems has prevented him from returning once again. "I can't predict how I'll be in the next six months. I can't predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed the last twenty years. I don't know if my body will allow me to be competitive," he confessed before returning to play. in Brisbane.
Nadal will face Australian Jason Kubler in the second round, also back after four months injured. His rival, the Russian Aslan Karatsev, retired due to injury after winning the second set.
