Before the eyes of Mini Rafa: Nadal returns to the court after 349 days

It has been 349 days since the last official match Rafael Nadal past. On Tuesday morning (January 2) the Mallorca tennis champion will take to the court again. At the ATP Championships in Brisbane, he will meet the 37-year-old in the first round Austrian Dominic Thiem.

Due to the almost year-long break in which Nadal recovered from a quadriceps injury and prepared for what was likely his final season as a professional, the athlete from Manacor fell in the world rankings. Location 672 far. In theory, his participation in this year's tournaments is in danger. Practically every organizer is happy when he can introduce Nadal to his fans and provide the Mallorcan with one Wildcard Out of place.

But this also means that Nadal is not seeded for the tournament. In Brisbane he was unlucky to get a draw. Because with Thiem he is against a long-term opponent of Mallorca.

Mini Rava and visiting animals

In the past few days, the focus has been more on the area surrounding the square. Rafael Nadal accompanied by his wife and wife One year old sonWho actually has a tennis racket in his hand Down I travelled. Meet Tim, authentic Australia. Someone crawled during training Brown snake 50 cm longWhich is considered one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. Experts removed the animal.

The showdown between Thiem and Nadal is currently scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. With his coach Marc Lopez, the Mallorcan will also be in… Double compete. Nadal has already lowered his expectations and said he has not set any specific goals. His form is very uncertain after the long break. Nadal wants the tournament in Brisbane Preparing for the Australian Open.