Rafael Nadal was eliminated from the Brisbane International after losing 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-3 to local talent Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals. This was the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s first tournament since returning from a hip flexor injury after a year-long absence.
“I hope to have the chance to be practicing next week and to play in Melbourne,” Nadal commented after his loss, referring to this year’s Australian Open. It was during this grand slam that Nadal suffered his injury, forcing him out of the tournament and resulting in him undergoing a season-ending surgery.
While the 37-year-old breezed through his first two matches with straight-set victories over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler, his match against Thompson was a grueling one, lasting three hours and 25 minutes. The length of the match took a toll on Nadal’s body, with the former ATP world number one being assessed by a trainer during the third set for an upper left leg injury. Following his medical timeout, he saw out the match.
