Rafael Nadal makes emphatic return to court, defeats Dominic Thiem in Brisbane International

Brisbane [Australia], January 2 (ANI): Rafael Nadal marked his return on a winning note by ousting Austria's Dominic Thiem at the Brisbane International on Tuesday.
Clinical Nadal clinched a 7-5 6-1 victory over the Austrian to kick off 2024 on a dream note. The 22-time Grand Slam Champion's fixture certainly stood out among the several contests that took place.
Nadal overcame a hip injury and made his first appearance after 11 months.
In his two straight-set victory that lasted for 89 minutes, the Spaniard made just six unforced errors and on his serve, he dropped only three points in the first set.
Nadal talked about the emotions that he felt during his recovery time.
"Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career without a doubt," Nadal said on court following the victory, according to Sky Sports.
"To have the chance to come back after a year and play in front of an amazing crowd and play at a very positive level is something that probably makes us feel proud - myself, all the team, family that have been there every single day during the last year," he said.
"I missed being healthy, I missed feeling myself competitive and playing in front of full crowds like this. Things went well and I'm excited to be back again tomorrow. The support is super important, especially in the low moments. I had the chance to receive thousands of messages during all of this year and having great people next to me every single day makes the difference without a doubt. I don't have a real test about how the level was, I have been too long outside. The first set was very equal, both us serving very well.
"Then I was able to have that break at 6-5, so that makes the difference. I know Dominic has been going through some hard times with injuries too so I'm happy to see him on court and I wish him all the very best for the season," Nadal concluded.
Nadal will now play Australia's Jason Kubler on Thursday. (ANI)