after a year without playing, Rafael Nadal returned to the courts and won – Libération

2024-01-02 19:34:56

Physically fit, impressive racket in hand, the Mallorcan won this Tuesday, January 2 in Brisbane against the Austrian Dominic Thiem (7-5, 6-1). Injured, he hadn’t played for a year.

We had to wait barely thirty seconds for the tone to be set. A serve, two exchanges then, already, a powerful forehand which bites the baseline and overtakes the Austrian Dominic Thiem. A strike like he has made thousands in his career, which will remain as the first stone supposed to allow him to return to the top. At 37 years old, almost a year after his last singles match and while many doubted his ability to come back, Rafael Nadal played again this Tuesday, January 2. And returned.

The Majorcan with 22 Grand Slam titles won in straight sets (7-5, 6-1) against Dominic Thiem, former world No. 3, in the first round of the Brisbane tournament (ATP 250). While everyone was wondering in what state the left-hander with a body battered by injuries would return to the courts, the Australian public saw Nadal arrive powerful, fast, full of energy and rage. As if by miracle, freed from his problems with his hip, foot and other parts of the body which have caused him to pass into the hands of doctors and surgeons in recent years. “If he continues to play like this in the coming months, it could be particularly exciting,” marveled the Tennis TV commentator at the end of the match.

As smiling as he was relieved after the match, Rafael Nadal looked back on the white season he had just experienced – “one of the most difficult years of my career” – and spoke of his “emotion” at finally finding the short. Before tempering the fans’ ardor: as encouraging as it is, this victory will be worth nothing if, tomorrow, his body once again prevents him from stringing together matches and successes. “The first and most important thing today is to stay in good health,” explained the man who had fallen to 672nd place in the ATP rankings before this victory against Thiem, as reported the team. I don’t think I’ve forgotten how tennis is played. But you have to be able to maintain a very high level of tennis on the Tour. I have to recover from my trip, which takes time. It will take hours and hours on the court to achieve this. See you on Thursday for a second round against Jason Kubler, 102nd in the world, to see if his body continues to leave him in peace.

Stop or still?

In mid-May 2023, when announcing his withdrawal from Roland-Garros during a press conference live from his academy in Manacor, Rafael Nadal had drawn the outlines of his dream. That of finishing his career in 2024, ideally after two victories on the ocher of Porte d’Auteuil that he cherishes so much: for Roland-Garros in June, then two months later at the same place as part of the Olympic Games. “Next year will probably be my last on the circuit,” he said at the time. While keeping in the back of his mind that if his body did not allow him to play again, retirement would perhaps arrive sooner than expected.

A sign that his confidence has returned, despite the precautions taken after his successful return, the Mallorcan now does not rule out extending the adventure with the yellow ball a little longer. “I can’t predict 100% what will happen in the future. Obviously there’s a good chance this will be my last tour of Australia. But if I’m here next year, don’t tell me I said it would be my last,” he said with a smile on his face on Sunday to journalists ahead of the tournament in Brisbane.