Melbourne Summer Set: Rafael Nadal claims first win since August
What's the story
Spanish ace Rafael Nadal defeated Ricardas Berankis 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals of the Melbourne Summer Set on Thursday. It was Nadal's first win in over five months. He returned to action at the World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament (Abu Dhabi) in December, where he lost to Denis Shapovalov and Andy Murray. Before that, Nadal competed at the Citi Open in August 2021.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Nadal played in Melbourne after recovering from COVID-19. He had contracted the virus in December after competing in Abu Dhabi. Nadal last played on the ATP Tour in Washington. He lost the last 16 clash to Lloyd Harris. He then skipped Wimbledon, Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and the US Open. The 20-time Grand Slam champion will be eyeing his second Australian Open title.
Elation
'Happy to be back', says Nadal
"Super happy to be back in competition. It's difficult to imagine a better place than here [at] the beginning of the season in Australia," Nadal said after the match. "It's only the first match after a while. Honestly, I have been going through some difficult, challenging moments the past year-and-a-half, but in general terms I am super happy to be back in competition."
Form
How did Nadal perform in 2021?
Nadal had a win-loss record of 24-5 in the ongoing season. He won two titles - Rome Masters and Barcelona (ATP 500). He lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open at the start of the year. Nadal missed out on his 14th Roland Garros title. World number one Novak Djokovic defeated Nadal 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2 in a tense semi-final.
Development
What lies ahead for Nadal?
After beating Berankis, Nadal will play Tallon Griekspoor in Melbourne. The Dutchman beat Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in nearly two hours. Notably, the Melbourne Summer Set is a lead-up to the Australian Open, starting January 17. Nadal won his only Australian Open title in 2009. He defeated Swiss ace Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2 in an epic finale battle.
Do you know?
Nadal is 69-15 at Australian Open
Nadal has a win-loss record of 69-15 at the Australian Open (win percentage of 82). He has won the title only once in 16 attempts. The Spaniard has finished as the runner-up as many as four times (2012, 2014, 2017, and 2019).