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Rafael Nadal (37) is “back in business”. The Spanish tennis veteran celebrated his comeback in doubles last week, but his first singles match followed on Tuesday. It was immediately unforgettable: in Brisbane he defeated Dominic Thiem in two sets: 5-7 and 1-6.
In a crowded Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, Nadal looked into the eyes of former US Open winner and former world number three Dominic Thiem (ATP 98) in the first round. A balanced first set ultimately went to the 37-year-old Spaniard, who was able to pull away from the Austrian more easily in the second set: 1-6.
Along the way, Nadal made it clear to the tennis audience that he is by no means exhausted with some unprecedented points. Nadal, who was able to play a singles match again after 351 (!) days after a persistent hip injury, takes his 1,069th. Victory on the ATP circuit, surpassing Ivan Lendl. Only Djokovic (1,087), Federer (1,251) and Jimmy Connors (1,274) do even better. In the next round, Nadal will play against Australian Jason Kubler. The ATP tournament in Brisbane is a traditional preparation tournament for the Australian Open, which begins on January 14th. In 2022 he won his 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne.
He already played doubles last Sunday. Alongside his compatriot Marc Lopez – with whom he won Olympic gold in 2016 – Nadal lost twice 6-4 against the Purcell-Thompson duo.
Despite
“Today is an emotional and important day for me,” said Nadal after his victory. “I had without a doubt the most difficult years of my career. Being able to play again after a year, and in front of such a great audience, is very nice. “Being there again on the first day makes not only me proud, but also my entire environment and my family, who have always been there for me,” said Nadal.
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