Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal returned to the official courts of the tournament this Sunday in the double draw of the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane, Australia, after almost a year of absence due to injury, including a defeat together with his friend Marc Lopez against the locally formed couple. by Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson doubled 6-4.
The defeat is the least important and the smile with which Rafa Nadal left the central court of the Queensland Tennis Center In brutal complicity with his partner and member of the technical committee Marc Lopezera Climax of the long-awaited return of Manacorí to the competition, which debuts on 2 January in the singles draw in Brisbane, Dominic Thiem.
After almost a year out of competition, the 22-time Grand Slam winner felt like a tennis player again and started using the bat to restore his Australian ball and athleticism, aiming for the first “Grand Slam.” To become Slam of the Year, the same earlier this year, on January 18, 2023, he was injured and played his last match.
Then an injury to the Iliopsoas muscle in his left leg. But without avoiding the pain, and in a way that smells of a farewell, Rafa Nadal decided to play again and did so alongside Marc Lopez, “retired” from 2022. who returned to the slopes to help the Manacorí , with whom he won the gold medal in doubles at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
This time in Brisbane, winning was not a priority. And yes, it was. Don’t get hurt and start calibrating your strengths. And yet they brought trouble to a solid, active and much younger bunch, who were also clearly superior in service, 12 direct serves from the “Aussies” by none of the Spaniards, and in the end he won because of his physicality.
The match lasted only 73 minutes. But they helped Nadal experience the game with style. Moreover, having Lópezcom at his side, who won six tournaments and played 45 matches in his best moment as a duo, was the icing on the cake of his return. A return that left him happy, smiling and better prepared for his singles debut against Thiem.
(With information from Europa Press)
Source: La Neta Neta
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
