Rafael Nadal runs into reality on comeback trail, squanders 3 match points to lose Brisbane QF | Tennis News

Those dreaming of another Rafael Nadal fairytale in Australia were handed a bitter dose of reality on Friday, as the Spaniard crashed out of the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International, losing to home-favourite Jordan Thompson 7-5, 6-7 (6), 3-6, despite having three match points.To make matters worse, after giving up the initiative, in the third and deciding set, Nadal was forced to call a medical timeout for treatment on his left hip. The 22-time Major champion, however, immediately confirmed after the match that the pain was different from the hip flexor issue he suffered at last year’s Australian Open that led to his year-long injury layoff.
“I feel the muscle tired,” he was quoted as telling reporters in Brisbane PA Media. “I mean, for sure it’s not the same like last year at all because when it happened I felt something drastic immediately. Today I didn’t feel anything. The only problem is because the place is the same, you are a little bit more scared than usual.

Good to have you back, Rafa 👋@RafaelNadal #BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/V2ZRHzyrh8
— Tennis TV (@TennV) January 5, 2024
Nadal is playing his first tournament since Melbourne last year, using this week to assess his technical and physical level ahead of this year’s Australian Open, which kicks off on January 14.
Despite serious question marks surrounding his return to competitive action this week, Nadal looked sharp in both his opening matches, which he won in straight sets without dropping his serve. However, the pitfalls of nearly 12-month-long inactivity were made clear as Friday’s quarterfinal wore on, with Nadal losing his intensity at the back end of the second set, at a time when he could have closed out the victory, allowing Thompson a route back into the contest.
Some of the Spaniard’s shotmaking this week has been reminiscent of his previous best – his big forehand doing plenty of damage, him taking his backhand early and hitting it flat with power, and serving consently – but it was his movement where dynamism remained lacking on Friday. The quick one-two-step adjustments required to make side-to-side movement easier and open up positions on the court, were slow, or missing entirely. Other familiar problems also surfaced, like a flailing second serve – on which he only won 47% of points, including only three out of 12 in the first set that he won.

Take a bow, @RafaelNadal 👏#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/A5C69RJDXi
— Tennis TV (@TennV) January 5, 2024
Nadal still managed to raise his game when it mattered in the opener, breaking Thompson’s serve to eke it out 7-5. But once his opponent picked up on his frailties, Thompson smartly began using powerful groundstrokes to elongate rallies and send Nadal backward, as opposed to letting him step inside the baseline and dictate play.
Even then, Nadal did enough to stay in the contest and fashion a match-point opportunity at 4-5, 30-40 in the second set against a nervy Thompson, but squandered it netting a routine overhead. In the resultant tiebreak, up 6-4, Nadal missed a simple put-away backhand volley, from where Thompson won the next three consecutive points, and rode the momentum that flew his way from there.
Down a break at 1-4 in the decider, Nadal needed treatment on his hip and was not looking buoyant after returning, spraying errors against an opponent that had been sharp enough to take advantage of his rustiness.
Judgments on Nadal’s return can only be made per expectations. Playing three matches at a competitive level, including a nearly three-and-a-half-hour grind on Friday, after a year-long injury is undoubtedly positive. But those who had their hopes raised after seeing him at a competitive level this week will need to temper expectations just as Nadal and his team, including coach Carlos Moya, who sat grim-faced in his box on Friday, have been doing recently.

Gets better with every watch 🔥 @RafaelNadal #BrisbaneTennis https://t.co/OYQigeIhCc pic.twitter.com/9yXdVFVUll
— Tennis TV (@TennV) January 5, 2024
“We have been talking these last days, talking about the positive things. That’s why I am not over-positive when I have been talking,” Nadal said after Friday’s loss. “I have been talking with a lot of precaution because I know after a year (it) is difficult for the body to be playing tournaments at the highest level. When the things are becoming more difficult, you don’t know how your body is going to react.”
While Nadal would be positive about his level of play this week, after suffering pain on Friday, concerns would prevail about being fully fit in Melbourne in two weeks. “I need to see how I wake up tomorrow morning,” he said after the match.
“I hope it is not important and I hope to have the chance to be practising next week and to play Melbourne. Honestly, I am not sure of anything now.”