Tennis: Nadal wins his first match after a one-year hiatus
Kyiv • UNN
Nadal defeats Tim in his first match after a one-year break, marking his "emotional and important" comeback.
Spaniard Rafael Nadal won his first match after a year's break due to injury when he defeated former US Open champion Dominic Thiem at the Brisbane International on Tuesday, calling the day "emotional and important," UNN writes, citing AFP.
Details
The 22-time Grand Slam winner looked great as he defeated the Austrian 7-5, 6-1 in front of a full house at Pat Rafter Arena.
"Honestly, today is an emotional and important day for me after, without a doubt, one of the toughest years in my tennis career," Nadal said.
"To have the opportunity to come back a year later and play in front of a terrific crowd and to play, I think, on a very positive level on day one is something we're proud of," he pointed out.
He will now play Jason Kubler in the second round.
Supplement
The long break has raised fears that his career could be over, but Nadal said this week that he is always determined to return for the 2024 season.
The 37-year-old Spaniard has not played singles since losing in the second round of the Australian Open last year, following two rounds of hip surgery.
