Rafael Nadal made his much-awaited comeback in style as he cruised past Dominic Thiem in Brisbane on Tuesday. The Spaniard was playing a competitive singles match after almost being 12 months out of the game due to a hip injury. After the match, Nadal himself spoke about his comeback and shattered the perception basically that champions are supposed to or actually think positive about themselves and situations they face always.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Rafael Nadal admitted that he was extremely worried about his comeback being a disaster. Presenting an honest take, the Spaniard said that it is not easy to return to professional matches after a big injury. The 37- year-old was naturally delighted to kick off his 2024 season with a win in his very first match.
“I’m talking with the hand on the heart & being very honest with all of you. It’s not all that you go on court & you have more nerves than usual because you really at the end hope that you’re going to play at this level, but inside yourself you know that it can be a disaster. And that, of course, worried me.“
Nadal got off to a perfect start in 2024 with a straight sets victory against Dominic Thiem. The Spaniard won the match 7-5, 6-1 and looked ready for the new season. Nadal displayed his trademark forehand winners and dominated on his serve, much to the delight of his fans. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has hinted that this could be his last season on the Tour if he suffers another major injury.
But Nadal’s comeback win has got the Spaniard’s fans and the tennis community in general, buzzing. Not only fans, but many of his colleagues on the ATP Tour are delighted to see the 22-time Grand Slam champion back on court.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic happy to see Rafael Nadal back
Rafael Nadal posted a picture on his social media accounts which gained a lot of engagement. Current World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz commented on Nadal’s post and expressed his delight at seeing the Spaniard back in action. Alcaraz wrote, “What a joy to see you again on track Rafa”, adding a throne emoji in the end.
View this post on Instagram
Novak Djokovic welcomed his rival back as well. The Serbian reshared Nadal’s story on Instagram story and added “Welcome Back” as the caption. The tennis world will hope for another Djokovic-Nadal match this season. The duo have already produced some of the best matches in tennis history and will look to add more. Rafael Nadal will face Jason Kubler in the next round of the Brisbane International Tennis tournament on Thursday, January 4 (6.30 PM local time/3.30 AM EST).
