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.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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