A magnificent return from Nadal

Former world number 1 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal has made his return to the courts after 349 days. He advanced to the next round of the Brisbane International by defeating Austrian Dominic Thiem 2-0 in the first round of the men's singles.

The 37-year-old Nadal, who has 22 Grand Slam titles in his career, defeated Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion ranked 98th in the world, in sets of 7-5 and 6-1 in a match that lasted one hour and 29 minutes at the ATP 250 tournament he entered via a wildcard.

Nadal, who was eliminated by American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open in January 2023, had been away from the courts for a long time due to a hip injury sustained in that match. The tennis player, who has announced that 2024 could be the final season of his career, had dropped to 672nd in the world rankings.