WATCH: Rafael Nadal receives rousing applause from fans in Brisbane despite suffering a loss against Jordan Thompson

Fans were in awe of Rafael Nadal and sent him off in style admiring his comeback.

WATCH: Rafael Nadal receives rousing applause from fans in Brisbane despite suffering a loss against Jordan Thompson

Rafael Nadal of Spain thanks the crowd after loosing to Jordan Thompson of Australia during their quarter-final match on Day 6 of the 2024 Brisbane International at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane, Friday, January 5, 2024. (Via Imago)

As his much-awaited comeback tournament comes to an end after losing to Australian Jordan Thompson in a three-set thriller, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal received an honorable send-off from the crowd. The fans were just delighted to have him back to the sport.

The 14-time French Open champion had an excellent run at the Brisbane International, his comeback tournament, and reached the quarter-finals as well. However, after a hard-fought match, the Spaniard was unable to proceed to the later stages of the tournament. Nevertheless, he got a huge round of applause from the crowd as he walked back with his head held high to the locker room.

Playing after almost a year, the Spaniard did not fail to make a solid and impactful comeback to tennis, reaching the quarter-finals of his first tournament in a long time. Although for a major part of the match, it felt like the ‘King of Clay’ had the upper hand, he lost 3 match points, and his Australian opponent made full use of this. Thompson quickly recovered to force the match into a deciding set where he defeated the former World No.1 to proceed to the semi-finals.

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However, tennis fans and followers held Rafael Nadal in high regard as they applauded his efforts to maintain a good run at the season opener. They were just happy and excited to see their idol hold the racket and play tennis for perhaps one final time before he bids goodbye to the sport.

Rafael Nadal will next play at the 2024 Australian Open

After a good run at the Brisbane International, the Spaniard has definitely boosted his chances of having a deep run at the upcoming Australian Open which is scheduled to start from mid-January. Many players on the ATP tour are of the opinion that he is extremely fit and very much in the race for winning Grand Slam titles in the coming season.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Credits: Open Source/X)

However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has time and again mentioned how his main priority is not winning a Slam, but he is happy enough to be able to compete at the highest level for one last time and end his tennis career on his terms. He has expressed his desire to represent his nation at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside World No.2 and fellow countryman, Carlos Alcaraz.

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