The World No. 9 remarked that all comebacks become harder as one ages, but his latest one was all the more difficult. His reason for this was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Nadal missed the 2021 Wimbledon and US Open due to a foot injury. But he looked in good touch during his first-round match against World No. 66 Marcus Giron at the 2022 Australian Open on Monday (17 January). It marked his first Grand Slam match since the loss against Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of last year’s Roland Garros.

Speaking at a press conference after his 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory, the 20-time Grand Slam champion spoke about the conditions surrounding his most recent comeback.

The sixth seed mused about how he has only played a handful of tournaments since the pandemic began in 2020. Nadal reckoned that his practice was affected and believes that has to be taken into consideration along with the reduced number of matches.

The combination really put into perspective the difficult nature of his comeback. Due to these factors, Nadal felt even happier about his return to the world of Grand Slams in 2022. He added that he was also enjoying the tennis he was playing at the moment and that he would try his best to keep progressing down under.

“It’s better to have a good relationship with everybody because then you are happier” - Rafael Nadal on his relationship with Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal was also enquired about his thoughts on being the only former champion left in the draw for the Australian Open, following Novak Djokovic’s deportation from Australia. The former World No. 1 noted that he has always had a good relationship with the Serb on a personal level, regardless of them being rivals on the tennis court.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion further added that Djokovic was one of the guilty parties in the situation that unfolded in Australia, which he referred to as “a mess.”

The Spaniard refused to comment on the fairness of Djokovic not being allowed to play at Melbourne Park. But he expressed his displeasure at repeatedly being asked the question in his press conferences, saying:

Nadal will face the winner of the contest between Thanasi Kokkinakis and Yannick Hanfmann in his second match at the Australian Open.

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