Spaniard shrugs off troubled 2021 season to reach third roundNadal: ‘I don’t have big pressure’ after 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victoryIt was not always clear that
Rafael Nadal would make it back to the
Australian Open this year, but 20 seasons into his illustrious career, he has developed a knack for blowing past even the most generous expectations.
![Rafael Nadal revels in Australian Open return to sweep past Yannick Hanfmann](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/8197e1a186ba090c511e05cf8399830e7669bc11/0_4_3995_2398/master/3995.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=6d184d5f44939a3220b611c7b79c5ef7)
Nadal is indeed in Melbourne, he has already won five matches in the new year and for the first time in his career he is at a grand slam tournament without either of his greatest rivals,
Roger Federer and
Novak Djokovic. On Wednesday, Nadal returned to Rod Laver Arena and saw off a strong performance by Yannick Hanfmann to win 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the third round of the
Australian Open.