tennis
Quarter-final exit for Rafael Nadal in Brisbane
Rafael Nadal lost his quarter-final in Brisbane against Jordan Thompson in three sets. photo
© Tertius Pickard/AP/dpa
First setback for Rafael Nadal on his comeback. In Brisbane it ends in the quarter-finals. Treatment is worrying.
Nadal had to admit defeat against the Australian Jordan Thompson 7:5, 6:7 (6:8), 3:6 after 3:26 hours. The 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner missed three match points in the second set.
For Nadal, the 250 hard court event in northeastern Australia was the first tournament since his dramatic second-round exit at the Australian Open around a year ago. He then had to take a long break due to a hip injury and had to undergo surgery. In the meantime, Nadal was even threatened with the end of his career. The long-time world number one has announced that 2024 will likely be her final season.
Against Thompson, Nadal had the game under control for a long time, but then surprisingly had to give up the second set in the tiebreak. In the third round, Nadal was treated for a few minutes, but returned to the court and played the match to the end. What the injury means with a view to the Australian Open, which begins on January 14th, remains to be seen.