Rafael Nadal made his return to the court after a year-long absence due to a hip injury and subsequent rehabilitation. He showed his skill with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Jason Kubler at the Brisbane International. However, the 37-year-old Spaniard faced a setback when he received a warning for taking too much time between sets. Despite this, he brushed off the incident and even joked about it during his post-match interview. “I think it was odd because I knew I had five minutes,” Nadal stated. “It’s very humid in Brisbane and I had to change all my clothes.” He then added with a laugh, “I know I’m slow, but I’ll keep working to improve by 2024.” The crowd responded with applause.
