World No 2 wins after three months out 6-3, 6-4, 6-1‘I need to go day-to-day,’ says Nadal of managing back problemAfter endless days of discussion over a niggling back injury and his inability to compete in the week leading up to the
Australian Open,
Rafael Nadal finally returned to competition for the first time in three months on Tuesday. He easily defeated Serbia’s Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to move into the second round after testing his back for the first time there.
Nadal had not competed since the ATP Finals, when he ended the 2020 season in a flurry of mixed emotions. Although he fell to both Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem then, both were narrow defeats. He departed for the off-season hopeful of further progress to come and he was pleased with his work. During one of his first practice sessions with Dominic Thiem in Adelaide, it was all undone by a stiff back.