Rafael Nadal made a comeback to the Tour after being sidelined for the entire 2023 season.

Rafael Nadal was recently subjected to an unfortunate on-court medical timeout during his performance in the quarterfinal of the 2024 Brisbane International.

However, the Spaniard’s unexpected medical timeout drew heavy criticism from online tennis fans who mocked the former for being unable to compete on the professional circuit after a year’s worth of sabbatical.

Former World No. 1 Nadal suffered a humiliating quarterfinal loss at the hands of Jordan Thompson, concluding his comeback campaign at the Brisbane event.

Despite putting up a good show, Rafa was unable to assert his dominance on the court and lost the contest even after enjoying three match points lead against the Aussie. His quarterfinal clash was concluded with a three-set scoreline that read 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-3.

During the final set of the match, the Spaniard requested a medical timeout after experiencing discomfort in his hip, a reoccurring injury concern that sidelined him from the tour for the entire 2023 season.

Rafa Nadal is receiving an off-court medical time out.

He was just saying in press yesterday that he’s able to move without pain & limitations.

He’s worked so hard to get back out here on these courts.

Praying this isn’t something serious. 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/5DavlAAGpR

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 5, 2024

It is worth noting that the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion sustained a nasty hip injury during his performance in the previous edition of the Australian Open.

Furthermore, Rafael Nadal went under the knife for corrective surgery to remedy his injury issue and took an extensive rehabilitation period to recover. Despite taking the necessary precautions, speculations of another injury loom over the Spaniard ahead of participation in the season’s Australian Open.

Tennis fans troll Rafael Nadal for taking a medical timeout during his face-off against Jordan Thompson

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal made a dominating statement in the Brisbane International‘s opener after downing Dominic Thiem. Similar results followed in the second round of the tournament after the Spaniard ousted Jason Kubler without breaking a sweat.

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Rafael Nadal (Credits: TOI)
However, his much-anticipated comeback campaign at the ATP 250 event came down crashing after Jordan Thompson fenced the 37-year-old’s challenge.

Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here are some reactions from tennis fans:

While Nadal’s loss was a misfortune in itself, a potential injury scare owing to his full-time medical timeout enraged tennis fans who labeled the former World No. 1’s MTO as a way of disrupting his opponent’s momentum.