Despite dropping the opening set to bright-eyed Aussie Rinky Hijikata, Rafael Nadal kickstarted his pursuit of a 23rd Grand Slam singles title with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win in Round 1.
Returning to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the first time since 2019, when he raised the fourth US Open trophy of his career, Rafael Nadal turned back an upset bid from Australian wild card Rinky Hijikata on Tuesday.
The No. 2 seed is now a perfect 20-0 in Grand Slam play this season with titles at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, his lone setback a semifinal pull-out at Wimbledon due to an abdominal tear, an injury that cost him a shot at the calendar-year Grand Slam.
Rafael Nadal wins his first US Open match since capturing the title in 2019.
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S @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/nw5NDM1bLY— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2022
“It’s been a long wait,” said Rafael Nadal , some 1,087 days removed from his last appearance in Flushing Meadows. “For some time, I thought maybe I wouldn’t be able to come back. But here I am. I’m super happy. The night sessions here in New York are the best without a doubt.”
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US Open Rafael Nadal Rinky Hijikata Tennis Sports Kolkata
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