Rafael Nadal’s comeback to tennis could not have begun with a much bigger matchup. It also could not have gone much better.
In a battle between former Grand Slam champions who have fallen upon tougher times of late, Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem 7-5, 6-1 in the first round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday evening. The 37-year-old Spaniard did not face a single break point while advancing in one hour and 27 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,” said Nadal, who missed the entirety of 2023 following the Australian Open due to a hip injury. “I had the chance to come back after a year and play in front of an amazing crowd and play, I think, at a very positive level.
“On the first day, it is something that makes us feel proud–myself, all the team, and family that have been there every single day during the past year.”
The turning point came with Thiem serving at 5-6 in the opening set. He saved three set points but could not fight off a fourth, and from there it was all over. Nadal raced to a 3-0 lead in the second and never looked back.
“The first set was equal, with both of us serving well and more or less winning on serve,” Nadal assessed. “I was able to have that break at 6-5, so that makes the difference. Honestly, I know Dominic has gone through some hard times with injuries too, so I’m happy to see him on court and I wish him the very best for the season.”
Thiem has been struggling ever since sustaining a bad wrist injury during the 2021 grass-court swing. The 30-year-old Austrian, who is back in the top 100 but still lower than many would expect at this point in his comeback at No. 98, had to qualify in Brisbane–which he did with a couple of dramatic three-set victories.
Next up for Nadal is Australia’s Jason Kubler, who got a retirement from Aslan Karatsev.
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