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Rafa Nadal said he was delighted to return to victory at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday and that it meant a lot to him after going through a tough time with injuries, as he progressed to the second round with a 62 63 win over Flavio Cobolli.
Rafa Nadal said he was delighted to make a winning return at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday and that it meant a lot to him after going through a tough time with injuries, as he advanced to the second round with a 6-2 6 -3 wins over Flavio Cobolli.
The 37-year-old Spaniard beat the 62nd-ranked Italian in his first tournament since January and his first appearance on clay since the 2022 French Open.
Nadal’s last match on the ATP Tour was the quarter-finals at the Brisbane International, before he pulled out of the Australian Open. He withdrew from the Monte-Carlo Masters last week saying his body was not yet ready for competition.
“I tried many times in my career,” Nadal said, referring to his many injury visits. “Every time it’s harder and especially when you’re older it makes things even harder.”
“I’m going through difficult moments but at the same time when I can be on the tour for a few days and train with the guys, and to be able to compete a bit, it means a lot to me. Still enjoyable enough to keep doing it.”
The 22 times Grand Slam champion’s injuries have caused doubts about his ability to compete at the elite level again after he previously said he expected to finish his illustrious career in 2024.
Nadal is keen to play at the French Open, where he has won a record 14 titles with the latest coming in 2022. The French Open main draw starts on May 26.
He next faces fourth seed Alex de Minaur in Barcelona, ​​​​​​where he has won a record 12 titles and the main court is named in his honour.
