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The 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal lost the quarter-final of the Brisbane International 2024 to Australia's own Jordan Thompson in a three-set thriller. The 37-year-old failed to convert three match points during the second set tie-breaker to wave goodbye to the Brisbane crowd, who were witnessing him play his third match on the ATP tour after a long-awaited return.
The Brisbane International 2024 was the first tournament back for Rafael Nadal on the ATP tour after he missed out on nearly a year’s worth of action due to a hip injury. After undergoing surgery, the Spaniard attained full fitness before the start of the 2024 tennis season, making himself available for the Brisbane International in the run-up to the Australian Open this January.
During his first match back on returning to tennis at the Queensland Tennis Centre, Rafael Nadal disposed off the challenge of the Austrian Dominic Thiem in straight sets by 7-5, 6-1 in the round of 32 before taking down Jason Kubler 6-1, 6-2 in the round of 16 clash at the Brisbane International 2024.
The quarter-final of the competition saw Rafael Nadal win the hard-fought first set before putting himself on the brink of a win with three match points against Jordan Thompson. But, in a massive comeback, the Australian got the better of the tennis legend with the scoreline of 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 to put an abrupt end to his journey in Brisbane.
WATCH: Rafael Nadal waves goodbye to Brisbane crowd here:
During his previous match at the Brisbane International 2024 against Jason Kubler, the Spaniard received a code violation for over-running the bathroom break by four seconds, beyond the prescribed five-minute time limit. Rafael Nadal was quoted as saying, “I think it was something strange because I know I have five minutes. Honestly, Brisbane is very humid and I had to change every single piece [of clothing], it takes a while. And then, on the walkie-talkie, they were calling me ‘Three minutes, two minutes, one minute, half a minute’.
“I thought I was on time, honestly, then he [the umpire] told me I was four seconds late. I don’t know if it was me, I don’t think so at that time, but something happened. I am slow, I know that, and I’m going to keep trying to improve in 2024,” he added.