Rafael Nadal is making a comeback. He’s set to return to tennis at the 2024 Brisbane International. But, it’s not going to be a cakewalk, as many had assumed.
It’s been almost a year since Nadal last played an official tennis match. His last match was a loss to Mackenzie McDonald at the 2023 Australian Open. An injury from that match required surgery, putting his career on pause.
Guess who’s back, though? The 22-time Grand Slam champion is back in action. He’s hoping to get some crucial match practice before the 2024 Australian Open. But, don’t get it twisted, he’s not talking about winning the title in Melbourne just yet.
When the draw for the 2024 Brisbane International was released, most players knew their opponents. Nadal, however, was left in suspense. He had to wait a bit longer to find out his first opponent of the new season.
The reason? Nadal was drawn against a qualifier. His opponent could’ve been anyone. But, as luck would have it, he drew the most challenging player of all the qualifiers.
Dominic Thiem is also trying to get back in the game. The Austrian isn’t currently among the highest-ranked players on the ATP Tour. As a result, he had to play qualifying in Brisbane.
Thiem came out on top in his matches. And guess what? He’s the one who’ll face Nadal in his first match back at the Brisbane International. Tennis fans will remember their previous face-offs in two Grand Slam finals.
But wait, there’s more. Before he hits the singles court, Nadal is starting the tournament in doubles. He’s teaming up with Marc Lopez to take on Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson. He’s hoping to get some match practice in.
Takeaways
‣ Rafael Nadal is returning to professional tennis at the 2024 Brisbane International after a year-long hiatus due to an injury.
‣ Nadal’s first match back will be against Dominic Thiem, a challenging opponent who has previously faced Nadal in two Grand Slam finals.
‣ Before his singles match, Nadal will participate in a doubles match with Marc Lopez for additional match practice.