Nadal return on the cards
BRISBANE International officials are confident Rafael Nadal will want to play their event next summer and will emphasise his Grand Slam prominence in a 2017 season which started from a Queensland Tennis Centre launch pad.
Nadal has won more matches than any man in the first two Grand Slam events of the year and was to chase his 10th French Open crown early this morning in the final against Stan Wawrinka.
Brisbane International tournament director Geoff Quinlan has reminded Nadal’s agent that his Queensland debut last summer kicked off his run to the Australian Open final and career revival.
The 30-year-old Spaniard was ranked No.9 when he played his first Brisbane International, making the quarterfinals, after a year ruined by a wrist injury, which sidelined him from Wimbledon and later forced him to cancel the last month of his season.
Nadal moved up two places on live rankings to No.2 when he won his French Open quarter-final and Novak Djokovic lost his match to drop to third place.
“We are very optimistic about his return and the discussions with he and his management are ongoing,’’ said Quinlan, who will be in London late this month to ramp up player recruitment before Wimbledon starts.
“We know Rafa really enjoyed his first time here and we know his view was it was good preparation to be in Brisbane.
‘‘It was the first time he’d played in Australia in the first week of a calendar year, so we hope he sees it as a good place to start 2018.
“For him to do so well in both the first two Slams speaks to the scale of what Rafa’s achieved this year.’’
Quinlan’s admitted back in April that one of his main goals for the men’s draw was to entice 22-year-old Australian star Nick Kyrgios to play the Brisbane International after three years of starting his season at Perth’s Hopman Cup.
Three of the four French Open semi-finalists played the Brisbane International – Nadal, US Open champion Wawrinka and Nadal’s lastfour opponent Dominic Thiem.
Nadal played before sellout crowds in all three of his matches at Pat Rafter Arena this year.
“His match against Roger Federer in the Australian Open final over five sets will be one of the most famous tennis matches in years to come,’’ Quinlan said.