Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka's emotional comebacks are the talk of the town but let’s not over-celebrate

Rafael Nadal showed formidable form against Dominic Thiem but sterner tests await.

The much-awaited return has come to pass and 22-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal and his fans should be ecstatic after his 7-5 6-1 win against 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem at the Brisbane International. Naomi Osaka, returning after 15 months, had a pretty much similar storyline until her Wednesday's defeat.

Rafael Nadal's goal in 2024 may not be to win Grand Slams, but see how much his body can go through (Reuters)

Nadal was playing for the first time (in singles) since his second-round defeat at the Australian Open last year in January. He also picked up hip injury during the loss and later underwent surgery – in June. 2023 was a tumultuous year for him, to all intents and purposes. At one point, he declared 2024 was in all likelihood going to be his last year in professional tennis. His declaration kind of suggested he wasn't very confident that he would be able to recover this time to the desired level.

Following his doubles match on Sunday which he lost in the company of compatriot Marc Lopez, he however appeared a bit upbeat on the fitness front and said he wasn't completely sure if this year was going to be his last in competitive tennis.

Which is understandable. Nadal had expressed those fears during a horrid time in May. He had to pull out of the French Open – which he has won 14 times, a record. It was for the first time in 19 years that he didn't play at the Roland Garros event. It had also become apparent by then that he would have to undergo surgery. Against this grim backdrop, he said 2024 was likely to be last year. Who could blame him?

However, a lot has changed since. He appears to have made big strides on the recovery front. And that appears to have increased his desire to play longer, beyond 2024.

On Tuesday, on his return – in the true of sense of the word since the doubles encounter can only be considered a warm-up for him – the 37-year-old dispatched Thiem with relative ease. There were moments in the match when he appeared to turn the clock back. Thiem was competitive for a large part of the first set but he couldn't hold his serve at an important point in the 12th game. Thereafter, Nadal was all over him. The match lasted just 89 minutes.

Nadal's serve game was quite impressive. In his first 24 points on serve, he won 21. Quite brilliant for a player who was playing his first singles game in 349 days.

Be that as it may, don't be mistaken that Nadal gave his best performance against Thiem. It's early days. He might be feeling great but is unlikely to go full throttle at Brisbane. His priority must be to gauge how much pressure his body, especially healed areas, can take before the real test at the Australian Open begins on January 14. Besides, Austrian Thiem has had his own share of injuries in the last few years and is nowhere close to his best, and that, if nothing else, should check all the jubilation, particularly among Nadal's fans.

Even the first grand slam of the year is unlikely to see Rafa giving it his all. It's not just one or two tournaments he is eyeing. It's an entire year he has planned for and if his stars are aligned, he can continue playing beyond 2024. Who knows?

Nevertheless, it was an emotional return by all means. "Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career," the Spaniard, who faces local player Jason Kubler next on Thursday, said after the win.

"I had the chance to come back after a year and play in front of an amazing crowd and play at a very positive level on the first day, [it] is something that makes us feel proud – my team and family who have been there every day in the last year."

One really hopes Nadal lasts much longer. It will be great for the tennis world. In his absence, Novak Djokovic looks almost invincible. The current crop is good but not good enough to challenge Djoker on a consistent basis. Nadal can bring the balance back. Though it may take some time, up to a few months, before Nadal returns to his best.

Osaka's outings satisfactory

Japanese star Osaka too had a satisfactory outing against Germany's Tamara Korpatsch, on Monday. The new mother was playing her first tournament in more than a year. Compared to Nadal, Osaka had a tough time on the court but at the end of it, she managed to dispatch Korpatsch 6-3 7-6 (11-9). "I'm very proud of myself," said Osaka after win. "I feel like I played at a pretty good level. I think my opponent played really well as well." In the second round, the 26-year-old however lost 6-3, 6-7 4-6 to Czech star Karolina Pliskova. She fought bravely in what was well and truly a neck-and-neck battle.

The tennis world is abuzz at present with these two high-profile comebacks but to expect them to win tournaments without any delay would be expecting too much. Fans need to be patient. For now, they should be glad that they are back.