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Jannik Sinner recently endorsed Rafael Nadal's tennis comeback by sharing a Nike commercial that lit up the Brisbane skyline with the Spaniard’s logo. The ad was a tribute to the Spaniard’s return to court after nearly a year-long injury layoff.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion suffered a hip injury at the 2023 Australian Open, which forced him to miss the rest of the season. He underwent surgery in June and started his rehabilitation process in September. The Spaniard announced his return to tennis in December and chose the Brisbane International as his first tournament of 2024.
Nike, which has been the Spaniard’s sponsor since 2008, decided to celebrate his comeback with a special commercial. The commercial showed the iconic ‘Raging Bull’ logo projected on the skyscrapers of Brisbane, where he is currently competing.
"Brisbane. @rafalnadal’s return. Ready to leave it all on the court once again," the post was captioned.
The commercial quickly captured the attention of the fans and the media. Some fans said it was reminiscent of the DC Superhero Batman's Bat signal.
Here are a few reactions from the fans:
Sinner, also a Nike athlete, also shared the commercial on his Instagram story on Monday, January 1.
Sinner and Nadal have faced each other thrice in their careers, with the latter winning all matches. Their latest meeting was in the 2021 French Open round of 16, where the Spaniard defeated the Italian in straight sets.
Sinner will kick off his 2024 season at the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament, which will be held from January 10-12.
The exhibition will feature other prominent tennis names such as Dominic Thiem, Frances Tiafoe, Holger Rune, Karen Kachanov, and Stan Wawrinka too. It will serve as a warmup for the first Grand Slam of the season, the 2024 Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal to face Dominic Thiem in Brisbane opener
Rafael Nadal will make his long-awaited return to singles tennis at the 2024 Brisbane International on Tuesday, January 2. The Spaniard will take on Dominic Thiem at the Pat Rafter Arena.
The 37-year-old has not played a singles match since his second-round exit at the Australian Open in January 2023. He has played in Brisbane once before, in 2017, when he reached the quarterfinal.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has a 9-6 head-to-head record against Thiem. Their latest meeting was at the 2020 ATP Finals round robin, where the Austrian defeated the Spaniard in straight sets.
Rafael Nadal's doubles campaign with partner Marc Lopez ended in disappointment as the duo lost their first match on Sunday, December 31, to the Australian duo of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, 6-4, 6-4.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
