Rafa Nadal returned to motion for the primary time since January on the Brisbane International on Sunday, dropping his doubles match however general exhibiting no apparent after-effects of the hip damage that ruined his yr.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who’s gearing up for the January 14-28 Australian Open, sustained the hip downside in his second spherical loss at Melbourne Park in the beginning of 2023 and ended his season early after having surgical procedure in June.
Nadal rekindled his partnership with retired veteran Marc Lopez, with whom he received an Olympic gold medal in 2016, for his comeback however the duo misplaced 6-4 6-4 to Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson at a packed Pat Rafter Arena.
The 37-year-old was warmly welcomed by followers who held up Spanish flags and supportive messages whereas the loudest cheers had been reserved for his trademark whipped photographs and a strong crosscourt backhand winner within the opening set.
Nadal is more likely to get an identical reception in his singles opener on Tuesday towards qualifier Dominic Thiem, whom he defeated within the 2018 and 2019 French Open finals and holds a 9-6 win-loss report towards.
