• ATP 250 Brisbane Convincing comeback against Thiem (7-5, 6-1)
  • Carlos Moyà: "He's never felt like a retired player"

The best thing about Rafael Nadal's comeback, in a hopeful overall tone, was his serve. He is not a server, although, as time goes by, he has increasingly refined that shot, knowing its importance to shorten exchanges and reduce physical wear and tear, a capital matter, he only lost six points with the opening blow against Dominic Thiem, whom he defeated 7-5, 6-1 in the first round of the ATP 250 in Brisbane.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1, now relegated to No. 672 after nearly a year out of injury, won 90 per cent of first-serve points and 80 per cent second-serve points, without conceding a single break point. Thiem may not be the best returner, especially now, when he is unable to regain competitiveness, hit by a serious wrist injury, but the data is encouraging.

"I think I've had a good day. I played solidly, without making any mistakes and without making bad decisions," said the Spaniard in a press conference. If we look at the last match he played in the best of three sets, in which he lost to Alex de Minaur 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, last year at the United Cup, he grows in the comparison: then he won 61% of the points with the first serve and only 44% with the second. That time, two matches after the injury to Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open, she dropped serve six times.

Two-month deadline

Melbourne: a year earlier, when he won against Daniil Medvedev in a final he had lost. Then, five sets, five hours and 24 minutes of play, he won 67% of the points with the first and 47% with the second. Throughout his career, Nadal wins 72.2% of points on the first serve and 57.2% on the second.

The success with the serve makes it easier for him to maintain the initiative and dictate the conditions of the game, even more so on a fast surface like the one we are dealing with. He even went to the net, which he did on 10 occasions, six of them successfully.

"If I'm healthy and I'm able to maintain the level I need, I could be competitive again in about two months," said the left-hander, who had lost the last two meetings against Thiem, in the group stage of the 2020 ATP Finals and, before that, in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open that same year. When Thiem was Thiem and Nadal was Nadal.

Arguing with the Elite

The Spaniard wants, and perhaps can, to be again, waiting to confront his chances with those who are now in charge, read Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner or even Holger Rune, first seed in this tournament in Brisbane, and the physical response. The Austrian has been trying for some time now. And his doesn't look good. Yesterday he withstood 10 games. Once Nadal raced up 6-5 and capitalized on return on fourth set point, there was little match.

Nadal, after an impact of the ball, during his match against Thiem.AFP

Before being forced to stop for most of 2023, the Mallorcan was coming off a string of two wins in nine games. Still not fully recovered from the abdominal injury that prevented him from playing in the Wimbledon semi-finals, he had lost to Francis Tiafoe in the round of <> of the US Open, Tommy Paul at Paris-Bercy, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz at the ATP Finals, Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur at the United Cup. and with McDonald at the Australian Open. Only two wins: one, irrelevant, against Casper Ruud at the ATP Finals, and another, against Scott Draper, in the first round in Melbourne.

Of the 1,069 wins, already fifth on the list, with one more than Ivan Lendl, and preceded by Jimmy Connors (1,274); Roger Federer (1,251) and Djokovic (1,089), the latter, beyond the value of each of his 92 titles, and especially the 22 majors, has a singular weight, to the extent that it immediately supports his attempt to try again. One more time.

It wouldn't have been a drama to lose to a good player who competes regularly and, at the start of the season, had the two matches in the qualifiers. But, obviously, coming out on top, and doing it as he did, gives him extra confidence and leaves open the options of, sooner rather than later, sitting down at the table again with the best, trying to discuss the space ceded to them. Not definitively surrendered, because it would be foolhardy to say that when we talk about Nadal.

  • tennis
  • Rafa Nadal
  • Novak Djokovic
  • Carlos Alcaraz
  • Articles Javier Martínez