Rafael Nadal swept aside Jason Kubler 6-1, 6-2 in his second match of the Brisbane International in Australia, thereby signifying his return to tennis following a one-year absence due to a hip flexor injury.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner did face some tough competition on numerous occasions by Kubler, who at one point held three break points against Nadal at the end of the first set. Still, the Spaniard was able to overcome this challenging predicament, fighting his way back to claim the game and therefore the set.
“Every day is an adventure,” Nadal exclaimed following his victory. “I take every day like an opportunity, and tomorrow is another one.” While the 37-year-old is playing as a wild card due to slipping in the ATP rankings following his prolonged absence, he now finds himself in the quarterfinal of the Brisbane International, where he will come up against another local talent in the form of Jordan Thompson. Nadal’s opening match was notably a 7-5 6-1 victory over 2020 US Open champions Dominic Thiem.
