Rafael Nadal returns to court after hip surgery, loses to Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in doubles action at Brisbane International | Tennis News
Rafael Nadal returns to court after hip surgery, loses to Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in doubles action at Brisbane International | Tennis News
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Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal made his much anticipated return to the sport following a hip injury which sidelined him for the majority of 2023. On Sunday in the Brisbane International, Nadal teamed up with Marc Lopez but lost 6-4 6-4 to Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson.
Nadal, who is gearing up for the 2024 Australian Open, had a hip problem in his second round loss at Melbourne Park at the start of this year which necessitated surgery in June.
The 37-year-old looked in good nick throughout the match even pulling out his vintage crosscourt backhand winner in the opening set.
The Aussies prevail š¦šŗ
In Nadal’s first match since January 2023, Purcell & Thompson defeat Rafa & Marc Lopez 6-4 6-4!#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/lZmUF0pBE6
ā Tennis TV (@TennisTV) December 31, 2023
Nadal will next play on January 2 against qualifier Dominic Thiem, whom he beat in the 2018 and 2019 French Open finals and holds a 9-6 win-loss record against.
About a month ago, the 22 Grand Slam winner had told ATP Tour that the hope was always there that he would play at some level once again but only can he confirm that he is ready to step back onto the courts once again.
āUntil now I didnāt know if I would play tennis again someday, and now I genuinely believe I will. Iām still not ready to say when, but Iām able to train increasingly longer, and the progress is good,ā he was quoted as saying.
āWe know that the pain will never disappear, but Iāve taken a step forward,ā added the Spaniard. āThatās a lot for me. Talking about tennis is another matter altogether, as is the level Iāll be able to play at. But the steps toward trying to play again have been big and positive, which is what we have been fighting for for several months. Iām confident Iāll be able to say something more specific in the coming weeks.ā
(With agency inputs)
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