VIDEO. The legendary Rafa Nadal returned to the court after a 12-month pause

Spaniard Rafael Nadal took to the court in an official match for the first time since January last year.

The tennis legend started at the tournament in Brisbane (Australia) against Dominic Thiem, who is currently ranked only 98th in the ATP rankings. The Spaniard won in two sets in just an hour and a half (5:7, 1:6).

It is worth recalling that the last time Nadal went on court was in the second round of the Australian Open, when he lost in three sets to Mackenzie McDonald, in January a year ago. The Spaniard has been nursing an injury for the rest of his career.

Rafa Nadal has won 18 Grand Slam tournaments in his career, winning the Olympics in singles (2008) and doubles (2016), as well as many other tournaments. He has previously stated that the 2024 season is likely to be the last season of his career.

Dominic Thiem is a former world number three. However, due to health issues, he has missed a lot of time. In 2023, Dominic had more losses than wins for the first time in his career.