Rafael Nadal made an emphatic return to clay, cruising to a 6-2 6-3 win over Flavio Cobolli in the first round of the Barcelona Open.
The 37-year-old ended an almost two-year wait to compete on the surface once again after winning the 2022 French Open men’s singles final, and dispatched the Italian in the space of one hour and 25 minutes.
After already missing the Australian Open, Indian Wells and the Monte-Carlo Masters, the 22-time Grand Slam winner rolled back the years in Catalonia.
Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he will make his long-awaited return to tennis by playing in the upcoming Barcelona Open.
Nadal hasn’t played since the Brisbane International in January due to injury and has subsequently had to withdraw from a host of big tournaments including the Australian Open, Indian Wells and the Monte-Carlo Masters.
But speaking at a press conference on Monday, Nadal has confirmed that he will be able to take part in Barcelona, an event he has won a record 12 times.
“I came here a bit on a last minute decision, not knowing if I could play,” Nadal said.
“But tomorrow I’ll be on the court.
He added: “For me it’s a gift to be able to be here in Barcelona, I will treat it as my last year [here] and I want to enjoy every moment.”
Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas could then await in the semi-finals.
However one name who won’t be present in Barcelona is the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Nadal’s compatriot has had to withdraw with an arm injury, the same one that saw him also miss Monte-Carlo.
The race is also on for Alcaraz and the French Open, with the world No. 3 hoping to be fit to play in Madrid which starts on April 24, with the final taking place on Alcaraz’s birthday.
Rafael Nadal is set to return to action for just his second tournament this year.
After making his comeback in Brisbane at the start of the season following a year out, there have been several false starts for Nadal due to injury issues.
He missed the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Monte Carlo, but is now set to play in Barcelona, making his first clay appearance since he won the 2022 French Open.
When is Nadal playing his opening match? Who is he playing? And what’s happened to him so far this year? We run through everything you need to know about Nadal’s much-anticipated clay return…
Nadal will play his first-round match in Barcelona on Tuesday, April 16.
It has not been confirmed yet what time the match will take place, but Nadal is almost certain to play on the main court, which has been named after him since 2017.
Nadal, a 12-time champion in Barcelona, has been drawn to face 21-year-old Flavio Cobolli in the first round.
It will be the first meeting between the pair on the ATP Tour.
The winner will face fourth seed Alex de Minaur in the second round.
Nadal is unseeded as he is ranked at No. 644 in the world and is using his protected ranking to enter the main draw.
Nadal’s return to the tour this year has not gone as planned.
It started positively in Brisbane as he reached the quarter-finals and had match points to beat Jordan Thompson before losing in three sets.
But since then his comeback has repeatedly stalled.
A muscle injury suffered in the defeat to Thompson forced Nadal to withdraw from the Australian Open and he then pulled out of the Qatar Open in February with a back problem.
He was aiming to return in Indian Wells and looked on course after facing Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition event in Las Vegas.
However, he pulled out of Indian Wells, saying he was not “ready to play at the highest level at such an important event”.
“I can’t lie to myself and lie to the thousands of fans,” he added.
The injury struggles continued as he pulled out of Monte Carlo. “My body just won’t allow it,” he said on social media.
It has been reported that one of the main issues for Nadal is pain when serving.
Nadal was cautious about his chances of playing in Barcelona, but is set to start his clay season as he builds up to the French Open and the Paris Olympics, which are played at Roland-Garros in the summer.
“I’m happy to be here, of course, Barcelona is a place that has brought me a great deal of joy, and where I have spent periods of my life,” said Nadal.
“[Real Club] Tenis Barcelona is my club, I’m really enjoying being here for a few days. Over the last two years I’ve had very few days on tour, so spending days here, seeing people, being able to practise with players is a joy.”
Nadal’s opening match in Barcelona will be his first competitive contest on clay since he beat Casper Ruud in the final of the 2022 French Open.
The serve will clearly be an area to watch to see if it is giving Nadal any problems, but Uncle Toni suggested his nephew would not play an event unless he was “100 per cent”.
Nadal has a 66-4 win-loss record in Barcelona, which is an ATP 500 event.
