"It's just one match": Rafael Nadal not getting carried away ahead of return to action at Brisbane International

Rafael Nadal spoke about the expectations generated by his comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International, where the 22-times Grand Slam champion secured a remarkable victory against Dominic Thiem with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-1. Despite Thiem not being in his prime, it was a high-level match in Nadal's return against a former Grand Slam champion.

Fans were thrilled by the Spaniard's performance. Despite being nearly a year away from the courts, Nadal returned at a competitive level that excites enthusiasts about what his 2024 season might hold. However, Nadal downplayed the significance, stating, "I have been honest, and for me, nothing changed. It's only a positive start. I mean, it's just one match after a year that I played quite well, honestly. If we take all the circumstances that have been before that match, it has been a very positive match. I mean, it's just a match."

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The Spanish player has tried to keep low expectations and be cautious about the level he can offer, emphasizing the importance of staying physically healthy: "First and most important thing today is to stay healthy, honestly. I mean, my way to approach that didn't change at all after this match. My way to approach is just to try to enjoy every single day that I have the chance to be on the court."

He also highlighted the significance of accumulating official matches to quickly regain competitive rhythm: "If I am able to play more matches, it will be more helpful in terms of recovering things that, of course, you need to recover if you want to be competitive."

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Nadal doesn’t feel pressured heading into the Australian Open and emphasized that his goals are a bit more distant. The former world No. 1 aims to arrive in optimal conditions for the clay season and deliver his best performance there: "For me, my goal is still medium-term, in a couple of months to try to be, again, competitive. Now, if I am competitive, fantastic, but it's something that I, for me, is going to be a big surprise if I am competitive at a good level. Let's see. Day by day. Today is a positive day. Let's see after tomorrow."