Rafael Nadal had last played a competitive singles match around 8,400 hours ago. But watching his first point in his comeback outing against Dominic Thiem, at the Brisbane Open, it seemed as if he must have taken part in numerous tournaments last year.
In that rally, Nadal’s initial plan was to jam the returner with the body serve. He followed it up with the cross-court forehand before delivering the killer punch through a stinging inside-out forehand. It was a statement of sorts from the 22-time Grand Slam champion that he is here to compete in what could be his last year on the tour.
He made another statement a couple of games later. It was a gruelling rally where Nadal came out on top. Interestingly, on that occasion, it was Thiem who tried to dictate terms by eyeing Nadal’s backhand. The strategy was to open up the ad court with a down-the-line forehand. At that juncture, Thiem’s game plan seemed to have worked, as he also employed the drop shot. Nadal, however, showcased his quintessential retrieving skills and crunched the winner with some smart net play.
Incidentally, Nadal’s net play may not be the prettiest but as Mark Woodforde, one of the finest volleyers, once told Sportskeeda: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this guy hit a half volley. He’s always just in the right place.”
Nadal didn’t stop there, as he gave further evidence that he still had some miles left in the tank to run around like a jackrabbit. At 2-1 and 40-15, Thiem forced Nadal to go wide with his serve and subsequently cracked three forehands. The veteran, though, didn’t lose the plot and held his own via a slice backhand. Ultimately, he stole the point from right under Thiem’s nose through a razor-sharp cross-court forehand winner.
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Those bright moments just encapsulated the point that Nadal wasn’t just hitting the ball with precision and depth, but his court coverage was top-notch too. In the second and final set, we also witnessed the famous Nadal fist pump. One more indicator is that Nadal was in good shape, mentally and physically.
“Rafa’s going to go from training, which he’s doing very well, to competing.” – Carlos Moya, Rafael Nadal’s coach
Despite all the positives to take from the game, the Nadal camp would be treading cautiously. After all, he is returning from a serious hip flexor injury, which required arthroscopic surgery. With the Australian Open looming on the horizon, Carlos Moya, his coach, noted the importance of playing more matches. “Rafa’s going to go from training, which he’s doing very well, to competing. It’s impossible to have the same conditions in training as in a match,” Moya said in an interview with the ATP Tour.
“Playing the best of five sets, win, rest, return to court two days later …That’s the doubt I have right now, especially for a Grand Slam. But we have time. If the Australian Open started tomorrow, it would be a real fear.” There is also a small matter of praying that he doesn’t pick up another injury on the way.
It is improbable to sit on a sofa and predict Nadal’s future. But for now, among the blur of images at the Pat Rafter arena in Brisbane, the one that stood out was of a smiling Nadal sharing his views to the media after a well-earned victory.
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