BRISBANE (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal made a triumphant return to singles competition after nearly a year out with injury, defeating Dominic Thiem 7-5 6-1 in the first round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday.
The 22-times Grand Slam champion underwent arthroscopic surgery in June of the previous year after sustaining a left hip flexor injury during the 2023 Australian Open.
Nadal came back to competitive play at the start of the new season and suffered a loss in doubles, but demonstrated glimpses of his abilities ahead of the upcoming major at Melbourne Park.
In his match against Thiem, Nadal showed a return to form, dominating the first set with a break, giving him a lead which he maintained throughout the match.
Supported by fans at the Pat Rafter Arena, Nadal secured an early lead in the second set with a powerful backhand pass, ultimately winning 6-1.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
