RAFAEL NADAL RETURNED from his year-long injury absence with a bang by winning an engrossing first-round battle with Dominic Thiem at the Brisbane International.
The 22-time grand slam champion had not played since damaging his hip during a second-round match at the 2023 Australian Open.
But, with this year’s Melbourne major on the horizon, he gave a timely reminder of his talents with a box-office performance en route to an impressive 7-5 6-1 success in an hour and 29 minutes.
“Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career without a doubt,” Nadal said on court following the victory.
“To have the chance to come back after a year and play in front of an amazing crowd and play at a very positive level is something that probably makes us feel proud – myself, all the team, family that have been there every single day during the last year.
“I missed being healthy, I missed feeling myself competitive and playing in front of full crowds like this.
“Things went well and I’m excited to be back again tomorrow.”
Ahead of his long-awaited comeback, Nadal said it was “impossible” for him to contemplate winning tournaments.
There was little between the pair in the opening set before the Spaniard sealed a decisive break of serve by capitalising on his fourth set point.
Austrian Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, had barely put a foot wrong at that stage but was quickly facing an early exit.
Nadal backed up seizing the initiative by asserting his authority on the contest with another break of serve early in the second set.
The 37-year-old, who underwent hip surgery last summer, then won four of the next five games to secure a statement victory at the end of his lengthy spell on the sidelines.
He will face either Russian eighth seed Aslan Karatsev or Australian wildcard Jason Kubler in round two.
Elsewhere, Emma Raducanu celebrated her long-awaited return from injury with a gutsy three-set win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the first round of the ASB Classic in Auckland.
The former British number one, who was playing her first match since April following operations on both her wrists and one ankle, held off a fightback from the Romanian qualifier to progress 6-3 4-6 7-5.
Her preparations for the upcoming Australian Open will continue with a tough last-16 tie against second seed Elina Svitolina.
“It’s difficult after having such a long hiatus but I’m grateful to be healthy, I’m grateful to be able to move my body and not bedridden or in a wheelchair,” Raducanu said on court after victory in two hours and 27 minutes.
“It’s pretty amazing to just be out here and playing and I’m just really happy to be back on the tour and can’t wait to start this season and carry on hopefully injury-free and healthy.”
Tournament wild card Raducanu, who had dropped to 301st in the world rankings, resumed her stalled career claiming to feel “reborn” and freed from the weight of her headline-grabbing US Open triumph in 2021.
