Nadal returns from hip injury in Brisbane but admits this could be his final season

The broad smile across Rafael Nadal’s face said it all. After almost a year on the sidelines with a hip injury, the Spaniard made his return to competitive tennis in a doubles match alongside compatriot Marc Lopez, and although the pair lost in Brisbane, the sight of Nadal back in action was a victory in itself. A ferocious competitor and one of the sport’s great champions, being happy in defeat is not generally part of Nadal’s makeup. But these are not ordinary times in the incomparable career of the 22-time Grand Slam winner. Despite his truckload of trophies, injuries have been ever-present for Nadal, and he admitted his fitness issues over the years may have finally caught up with him.

“The problem about saying that it’s going to be my last season is I can’t predict what’s going on 100 per cent in the future. That’s why I say probably,” Nadal said shortly before his doubles match at the Brisbane International.

“It’s obvious it’s a high percentage that this is going to be my last time playing here in Australia. But if I am here next year, don’t tell me, ‘You said (this is) going to be your last season’, because I didn’t say it,” he added with a smile.

Nadal’s first true test of his comeback will come on Tuesday when he competes in a singles tournament for the first time since January’s second-round defeat at the Australian Open.

Adding to the anticipation, the 37-year-old will take on in the first round fellow Grand Slam champion Dominic Thiem, who progressed through qualifying and who also knows plenty about longterm injury having battled back from wrist issues.

Nadal starts the new season ranked No 672. As such, he is keeping expectations low.

“I can’t predict how [I’m] going to be in the next six months,” said Nadal. “I can’t predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed the past 20 years.”

If expectations are decidedly modest around Nadal, the exact opposite is the case for his great rival Novak Djokovic, who also kickstarted his season with a routine win in the United Cup team event. The 36-year-old world No 1 began his campaign with Serbia with a routine 6-3, 6-2 win over China’s Zhang Zhizhen.

“It’s great to be back in Perth,” said Djokovic. “It’s been 10 years since I’ve been in Perth, and this arena is definitely one of the nicest, from inside and outside, that I’ve played in.

“Obviously Australia has been my happy place. The place where I made the most Slam wins in Melbourne, and I love coming back.”