In the lead-up to the Brisbane International, Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, has opened up about his hiatus and shed light on the differences between his and Naomi Osaka’s comebacks. Both tennis icons are set to make their returns at the tournament, with each navigating unique challenges during their time away from the court.
Nadal’s absence from competitive singles tennis traces back to the 2023 Australian Open, where an unfortunate injury in the second round against Mackenzie McDonald forced him to step away from the game. On the other hand, Osaka took a break following the birth of her daughter.
In a recent interview with Brisbane Press, Nadal emphasized the distinctions between his and Osaka’s situations. He highlighted that, unlike Osaka, he never lost his love for the game, pointing to the passion that continuously fueled his dedication. Nadal’s break was necessitated by the physical toll on his body, a stark contrast to Osaka’s admission of temporarily losing her connection with the sport.
“I think Naomi and I are in completely different situations. I think Naomi, if I’m not wrong, she said that she lost a bit the love for the game for a while and the passion, something that never happened to me. So that’s the biggest difference. I had to be away because my body was not able to keep going,” Nadal explained.
Addressing the challenging moments during his hiatus, Nadal admitted contemplating retirement. The 37-year-old acknowledged the inherent human instinct to question returning to the professional circuit at an age where maintaining peak physical condition becomes increasingly demanding. However, he found the determination to persevere and continue pursuing his passion for the sport.
“Did I think about retirement during that period of time? Of course, yes. I had to go through a lot of things to be back. In the low moments, it’s 100% human to put yourself in a position to say, okay, I have to be back at 37 years old, knowing probably I will not be healthy enough to compete the way that I wanted to. Of course, I was asking myself. At some point, I decided to keep going. I had the determination to keep going,” Nadal shared.
Having missed significant tournaments such as the French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon during his recovery, Nadal also faced the unprecedented scenario of dropping out of the top 100 rankings for the first time in two decades.
“I just tried to work day by day without thinking much, just doing the things that I had to do, expect the things to go well. Here we are. I don’t know what’s going to happen. The only thing is I am happy I’m here in a position to come back again on a professional tour. I’m excited about what can happen,” expressed Nadal, radiating optimism about his return to the competitive scene.
As Nadal and Osaka gear up for their respective comebacks at the Brisbane International, tennis enthusiasts around the world eagerly await the return of these iconic players to Grand Slam action, with the Australian Open set to commence on January 14.
Nadal in Brisbane, ranking, and results in 2024
Now the world no.672, the Spaniard has a composed 2-0 match record in 2024. Nadal is now competing in Brisbane where he toppled the world no.98 Dominic Thiem 7-5 6-1 and the world no.102 Jason Murray Kubler 6-1 6-2.
Rafael Nadal will take on the world no.55 Jordan Thompson in the quarter on Friday at 8:00 pm on PAT RAFTER ARENA. Their actual record is 2-0 for Nadal.
Nadal won 92 titles in his career: 24 on hard courts, 63 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 4 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Naomi Osaka in 2024
Ranked no.661, the Japanese played her last match on the 3rd of January when she was defeated by world no.39 Karolina Pliskova 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4 in the 2nd round in Brisbane (draw).
This year Naomi achieved a composed 1-1 match record.
