Rafael Nadal made his official comeback to tennis at the 2024 Brisbane International, losing with good friend Marc Lopez against native hopefuls Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell.
Nadal and Lopez teamed up for some historic moments in the past, but we're past that at this point, at least in this combo in the doubles. What was iconic was the Spaniard stepping back on a tennis court again, a sight so many fans missed for the past year.
He's been out since January 2023 due to a hip injury, and this marks the first official time he has stood on a tennis court competitively again. It was interesting, predictably rusty, but with many smiles from Nadal, Lopez, the crowd, and everybody involved.
It was a feel-good match despite the effort being a loss. Obviously, Thompson and Purcell are a pretty good doubles combo, especially in the case of Purcell, who is a Grand Slam-winning doubles player.
The Australians played seriously and won the match in two sets, 6-4 and 6-4. They were pretty unbothered on their serve, dishing out 10+ aces and winning the majority of points on their serve.
No break points were allowed. When it comes to the Spanish duo, they were fine. Nadal had some moments that looked Nadal-esque, but it was clear that he was away for too long.
The rust was obvious but he couldn't keep a smile off his face. A pretty serious player by nature, he clearly felt really good about being back on the court and he should have. Playing again is a win in itself and everything else is less important.
The main test will come in his first singles match as that will be his main focus at the ATP 250 event. Will it be pretty? Probably not but it doesn't have to be. He arrived Down Under with no expectations.
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