“Couldn’t ask for more,” Spanish ace Rafael Nadal leaves his coach proud with his formidable comeback at the Brisbane International

Rafael Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem 7-6, 6-1 in the first round of the Brisbane International.

“Couldn’t ask for more,” Spanish ace Rafael Nadal leaves his coach proud with his formidable comeback at the Brisbane International

Rafael Nadal (L), Carlos Moya (R) (Source: Sky Sports/Pinterest)

Rafael Nadal registered a sensational victory over Dominic Thiem in his comeback match at the 2024 Brisbane International. The Spaniard beat the out-of-form Austrian 7-5, 6-1, and dominated him for almost the entirety of the match. With this, he moved on to the round of 16, where he will take on Jason Kubler of Australia. 

After the match, Rafael Nadal’s coach, Carlos Moya, said that he was satisfied and content with the way Rafa performed in his first match. He agreed that there are some small things that need to be improved but he is at a better level than they had expected. The coach reiterated that the required improvements will come with time as Rafa plays more and more matches. 

I am very happy with the performance, especially when we know the circumstances. I couldn't ask for more than what has happened today [vs Thiem]. There are always small things to improve, but everything will come together. The level has been very good, probably better than we expected. Now we need to continue evolving and progressing match by match.
said Carlos Moya. (H/T: Le Equipe)

Rafael Nadal made his comeback to tennis after sitting out the entire 2023 season. He suffered a hip injury in the 2023 Australian Open and had to undergo surgery, which ended his season. Although his initial plan was to participate directly in the Australian Open, the Spaniard and his team decided to play in the Brisbane International to get him in form. 

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Rafael Nadal faces Jason Kubler in the Round-of-16 

Rafael Nadal and Jason Kubler have not faced each other yet and this will be their first match. The Australian has an ATP ranking of World No. 30 and defeated seeded player Aslan Karatsev in the first round of the tournament, thanks to a walkover. Nadal is expected to have no difficulty beating the Australian and is clearly the favorite in this match. 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Source: ESPN)

Nadal’s performance against Dominic Thiem gave everyone an idea of the level he is currently in and it is pretty good. Especially considering the fact that this is his first tournament in almost a year, the Spaniard did a commendable job against the Austrian. If he continues to do so, he might as well become a serious contender for the title, which will boost his confidence massively ahead of the 2024 Australian Open.

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