It has been 13 years since Rafael Nadal last hoisted a trophy in Rod Laver Arena. On that occasion, Roger Federer watched on tearfully as Nadal, having prevailed in five close sets to deny the Swiss a record-equalling 14th major, received the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup from Laver himself. Neither the contest nor the trophy were of quite such moment this time around, but Nadal’s 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 victory over Maxime Cressy in the Melbourne Summer Set was loaded with personal significance for the Spaniard as he marked his return from injury with the 89th title of his career.
The boomerang-shaped winners’ trophy could not have been more apt. Nadal has barely played since the recurrence of a longstanding foot problem at last year’s French Open, and has understandably been some way short of his best this week. But over the course of an injury-plagued career he has become a past master at finding a way back, and the restorative power of a first tournament win since Rome last May could yet prove significant with only a week to go until the opening slam of the season.
Perspective is needed, of course. Nadal may have won the title without dropping a set, but the highest-ranked player he faced was Emil Ruusuvuori, the Finnish world No 95, and he received a walkover against the injured Tallon Griekspoor in the last eight. There was also a caution about his movement at times, with the Spaniard seemingly reluctant to chase balls that he might have gone after on a stage grander than an ATP 250 event. But he is back, and for now that is all that matters.
“There are doubts, but there were even more doubts during many months if I would be able to be back,” said Nadal, who has now claimed at least one ATP title for a record 19 seasons in succession.
“There have been some very challenging moments, and I have been working very hard even in the very tough moments. I will never say I deserve this, because I think a lot of people deserve, but I really worked hard, so I am quite satisfied the way that I approached all these very challenging months – in terms of my attitude, in terms of the positive spirit and in terms of my passion to try to be back.
“This title helps me to keep going, and of course it’s just the beginning. I have a lot of things to keep improving, but I really want to do it, and I’m going to try hard.”
Nadal’s latest successful rebound, four months after he had treatment in Barcelona on the foot injury that forced him to curtail his season last August – and just three weeks after he contracted Covid on his return to action at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi – was born of determination, endeavour and patient management of his physical capabilities as he feels his way back from injury.
There was the odd stumble – quite literally, when he momentarily lost his balance after sweeping one of those lasso-like forehand passes that are his stock-in-trade for a winner midway through the first set – but Nadal was solid throughout and raised his game at the moments of greatest peril.
The first of those came after 67 minutes, when he faced a set point on the Cressy serve. The American qualifier, no doubt emboldened by his exploits during a week that has brought victories over Reilly Opelka and Grigor Dimitrov, respectively the second and third seeds, was not backward in coming forward, and his bold attacking play reaped dividends as he kept Nadal at bay, saving a total of five break points to stay in contention. But there is a time and a place to come in on the Spaniard’s forehand, and it is not at 6-5 in the first-set tiebreak. A dipping Nadal return left the 6ft 6in Cressy lunging fruitlessfully at a forehand volley, and barely had the players changed ends before the set was done.
The second mini-crisis came early in the second set, when Cressy smoked two forehand winners to set up his only break of the match. Again Nadal responded immediately, blazing an unanswerable forehand return to bring up two break points in the next game, the second of which he converted with a near-identical pass, this time for a clean winner. Another break followed in the eighth game, giving Nadal the chance to serve out the match at 5-3, and if Cressy hoped the Spaniard might struggle to see out the win, as he had done from similarly authoritative positions against Ricardas Berankis and Ruusuvuori, he was to be disappointed.
“I feel privileged, a very lucky guy to be here again,” said Nadal in his post-match address to the crowd. “I am coming back from some challenging moments in terms of injuries, so I can’t be happier today. It means a lot to be back with a trophy in my hands after everything.
“This court has been always very, very special for me, I enjoyed unbelievable moments here. The name of this court, Rod Laver Arena is very special, I think, for everyone.”
How Nadal would welcome another special moment on the same court three weeks from now.