Rafael Nadal's marked his return to the ATP Tour with an emphatic first-round win over Dominic Thiem at the Brisbane International.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner spent the majority of the 2023 season recovering from a severe hip problem, but he showed few ill effects as he roared past another former major champion in Thiem 7-5 6-1.
An exemplary display from Nadal saw the Spaniard win a staggering 90% of points behind his first serve, while making just four unforced errors and denying Thiem a single break point throughout the contest.
Addressing the Brisbane crowd on the court after his victory, Nadal said: "Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career, without a doubt.
"I had the chance to come back after a year and play in front of an amazing crowd and play, I think, at a very positive level. On the first day, it is something that makes us feel proud. Myself, all the team and family that have been there every single day during the past year."
Nadal - who has dropped to 672nd in the world owing to his lengthy hiatus and entered the tournament as a wildcard - will now take on Australian qualifier Jason Kubler for a spot in the quarter-finals.
The 37-year-old was not the only ex-Grand Slam champion to return to action with a victory on Tuesday, as Emma Raducanu's first match in nearly nine months saw the 21-year-old Briton defeat Elena-Gabriela Ruse in three sets in the ASB Classic.
Ben Knapton
