Nadal returns, hints that he might play beyond 2024

Spain’s Rafael Nadal defeated Austria’s Dominic Thiem, 7-5, 6-1, at the Brisbane International in Australia on Tuesday for his first win in nearly 12 months.

The 22-time grand slam winner, sidelined since the 2023 Australian Open due to injuries and hip surgery, never faced a break point in the 89-minute match.

Nadal, 37, will face Australia’s Jason Kubler in the second round.

After playing a doubles match Sunday, Nadal hinted that he might reconsider his plan to retire from the ATP Tour after this year.

“The problem about saying it’s going to be my last season is that I can’t predict what’s going on 100 percent in the future,” Nadal said. “That’s the thing. That’s why I say probably.”

Nadal injured his hip flexor at the Australian Open in 2023. He is scheduled to play in the Melbourne tournament this year. It begins Jan. 14.

He said it might be his last appearance at the Australian Open — and it might not be.

“I can’t predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed the past 20 years,” he said.

Nadal has won the Australian

Open twice (2009, 2022) to go with two victories at Wimbledon, four at the U.S. Open and 14 French Open titles.

On Sunday, Nadal and partner Marc Lopez lost, 6-4, 6-4, to Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson.

SOCCER

Wayne Rooney dismissed:

● Birmingham

City, the English soccer team partially owned by

Tom Brady, fired manager Wayne Rooney after only 15 games.

The Blues also fired first-team coach Carl Robinson. Professional development coach Steve Spooner will serve as interim manager.

“Unfortunately, Wayne’s time with us did not go as planned and we have decided to move in a different direction,” Birmingham City CEO Garry Cook said.

Rooney began his tenure in October. He lost his first three games and had an overall record of 2-9-4.

The Blues lost 3-0 to Leeds United on Monday in Leeds. They sit in 20th place in the Championship, a second-tier league in England.

In the last four years, Rooney, 38, also was manager of League One club Derby County and then D.C. United.

NBA

Pistons’ win streak ● ends at 1: Center Alperen Sengun and guard Jalen Green combined for 37 points in the third quarter Monday night as Houston ended a threegame skid with a 136-113 home win over Detroit.

Detroit, which snapped an NBA-record 28-game losing streak Saturday, trailed by as many as 33.

HOCKEY ●

Canada ousted in world juniors: St. Louis Blues prospect Jakub Stancl scored his second goal of the game with 11.7 seconds left in third period as Czechia (the Czech Republic) defeated Canada, 3-2, in the quarterfinals of the IIHF world junior hockey championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, the AP reported.

Canada had been one of the tournament favorites.

Goaltender Jakub Vondras, a 2022 draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, got the win.

Finland beat Slovakia, 4-3, in overtime to also advance to the semifinals of the under-20 event.

The other quarterfinals matched the United States versus Latvia and Sweden versus Switzerland.

Minnesota Wild: The ●

NHL fined forward Ryan Hartman $4,427.08 for high-sticking Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti

on Sunday. The fine is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.