Rafa Nadal steps back onto the court to play his first match since his comeback. 347 days. It’s been too long. However this comeback goes, we’re with you til the end. 🥹
Rafael Nadal is back after 347 days, loses doubles with Marc Lopez in his comeback in Brisbane
ATPSunday, 31 December 2023 at 10:39
It has taken 347 days for Rafael Nadal to get back on a tennis court. It has been in doubles at the ATP 250 in Brisbane, where along with his now coach and former partner in crime Marc Lopez (won in Rio 2016) he has returned;
The least important thing is the result (defeat against the Australian pair Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell by 6-4/6-4). The important thing is that he has returned and has done so with good physical sensations before facing his first singles match this Tuesday, January 2 against Dominic Thiem.
HAPPY RETURN.
The atmosphere at the Pat Rafter was not that of a first round of doubles of an ATP 250 tournament, it was that of a special day. Ambientazo in the stands totally devoted to a Rafa who, after the initial smiles, deployed from the beginning his usual professionalism, his gestures, his serious look ... all his catalog of always, as if he had not been a day off.
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CONCULTIFIED MATCH.
As for the match itself, the first set was very disputed and was decided by a single break that the pair formed by Purcell and Thompson got by breaking Rafa's serve. They were infallible with their serves and closed the set 6-4 without giving options to the Spanish golden couple.
With 3-3 on the scoreboard in the second set after some evenly matched first games, the Australians again pressed the rest and got the break that ultimately ended up being definitive in the duel. The Aussies closed the duel by a double 6-4.
CONCLUSIONS.
The defeat against a pair of two Australian players who play to perfection the serve-volley on a fast court is completely normal for the duo of Nadal-Lopez. The important thing is that he has been able to feel again the adrenaline of the competition and has been able to add a few minutes on court before facing Thiem next Tuesday. The physical sensations seem to have been good. Rafa is back.
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