BRISBANE-. The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadalwho returned to the competition this Tuesday after almost a year of absence, was “very happy” for his return to the circuit and despite his resounding victory against the Austrian Dominic Thiem, he assured that his only objective is “to try to enjoy every time he go out on a field.”
At almost 37 years old and after two hip operations in 2023, which prevented him from playing since last January, Nadal defeated Thiem 7-5, 6-1 in the first round of the Brisbane tournament, in Australia.
“It’s just a positive start. It’s just a game played after almost a year and to be honest, I played well. But the most important thing is to be healthy and that’s why my goal remains the same as before the game: try to enjoy every time Let him go out on the court,” declared the former world number 1 and winner of 22 Grand Slams in a press conference after his victory against Thiem.
“My medium-term goal is to be competitive again in a period of about two months. At this moment if I am competitive, fantastic, but it would be a big surprise for me if I play at a good level. We will see. Day by day,” he added. in reference to his chances in upcoming tournaments, especially the Australian Open.
“Anything can happen when you haven’t played a professional match in a long time. You go out on the court and expect fantastic things to happen, but it can also be a disaster,” he said.
Despite his long career and experience, Nadal admitted to having had “more nerves” than normal and being “concerned” about his physical response to once again subjecting his body to the strain of a professional match.
“I need to regain confidence and mobility (on the court) and that takes time, because after each operation you are afraid of some gestures. I need hours on the court,” insisted Nadal, who will face Australian Jason Kubler in the second round.
Source: AFP
