Rafael Nadal returns to the tennis court after an almost year-long break.
Imago
Rafael Nadal was sidelined for almost a year due to various injuries. The Spaniard is now returning to the tour in Brisbane. His competitors expect him to be at his best.
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After a break of almost a year, Rafael Nadal returns to the tennis tour in Brisbane. His biggest competitors expect him to be in top form right from the start because he also wants to be the best. Nadal is in danger of falling back in the world rankings in Australia Round tough opponents.
After almost a year off, Rafael Nadal is making his comeback at the season-opening tournament in Brisbane – perhaps his last. The Spaniard is returning from a hip injury suffered in the second round of the Australian Open on January 18th, and 2024 is likely to be his farewell year on the tour. But you can never be so sure about that with the Spaniard; for the time being, his focus is on making a return to tennis as successful as possible – and that via wildcard.
In the world rankings, Nadal is only in position 672, with 45 points from the Melbourne round he won. His first appearance in Brisbane in seven years should give the fans of the 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner, but ultimately also himself, an indication of the level of his competitiveness. Novak Djokovic is convinced that this is high. “I always expect Rafa to perform at his highest level, to be honest.”
Rafael Nadal receives a warm welcome from fans in Australia.
Imago
“He wants to be the best”
Nadal, like himself, would often have been written off, as the world number one from Serbia said on Wednesday after an exhibition loss in Saudi Arabia in three sets against the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. “We always taught them better. He (Nadal, note) is not the player who comes back just to play at an intermediate level. He wants to win titles and a Grand Slam, that’s certainly how he trained. He wants to be the best – that’s why he is what he is: a legend of our sport.”
Alcaraz has a similar opinion of his compatriot, especially after watching recent training videos of the 37-year-old and receiving feedback from other players. “They have trained with him and say that he is coming back at his top level,” explained the 20-year-old Iberian. This fits with Nadal’s coach Carlos Moya’s statement that his protégé has made good progress. As a coach, however, he is unsure how Nadal’s body will react to the rigors of a Grand Slam tournament.
A cracker in the first round?
Nadal arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday, and the former world number one was of course immediately the center of attention, even though experts such as Holger Rune, Grigor Dimitrow, Ben Shelton and Andy Murray are also at the start of this 250cc event. Dominic Thiem, also a former Grand Slam winner, is almost overlooked in the qualification. “I’m happy to be back on the tour and back in Brisbane after a few years,” said Nadal at the start.
For the first time in 19 years he will not be seeded on the tour, which could mean an absolute hit and a serious test of strength for Nadal in the first round. Naomi Osaka is also making her comeback in the women’s tournament in Brisbane, unseeded via wildcard. The Japanese woman gave birth to her daughter Shai in July. The 26-year-old four-time Grand Slam tournament winner has not played a WTA event since withdrawing from a tournament in Tokyo in September 2022.
2023-12-30 18:03:38
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