Nadal Makes Triumphant Return From Injury To Beat Cobolli At Barcelona Open

Tennis legend, Rafael Nadal returned to action from a long-term knee injury to defeat Flavio Cobolli at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday evening.

The 38-year-old has been out of action since January, and made light work of Cobolli to record a 6-2 6-3 win in their first round clash.

He won 78 per cent of his first-serve points (25/32) and sealed his first meeting with Cobolli after one hour, 25 minutes.

He has been beset with hip injury, and abdominal issues in the last one year not long after recovering from a troublesome knee injury, playing only four matches in the last 15 months.

He is now ranked 644 in the ATP rankings, playing his first clay-court match in 681 days.

The Spaniard is delighted to return to action and he is ready to put the injury setback behind him.

“Every time it is more difficult and especially when you are at an advanced age, it makes things even tougher,” Nadal said of his return.

“I’m going through tough moments but at the same time, when I’m able to be on Tour for a few days and practise with the guys and then be able to compete a little bit, it means a lot to me. Still enjoyable enough to keep going. I’m happy to start with a victory without a doubt.”

He will face World number 11 Alex De Minaur in the next round on Wednesday.