Rafael Nadal was delighted after registering his second win in Brisbane and qualifying for the 225th quarterfinal of his glorious career. The Spaniard revealed his plan was to play aggressively against Australia’s Jason Kubler, whom he defeated convincingly by 6-1, 6-2.

Nadal dominated from the get-go and won 12 out of the first 13 points against the Australian. The veteran took a 4-0 lead against Kubler with a fine backhand smash and soon wrapped up the opening set. The Spaniard also broke Kubler’s serve in the opening game of the second set and from there on, the result was inevitable.

“I think I started the match playing very well, with a very good determination,” said Nadal in his on-court interview. “I saw videos of Jason before the match and I saw him playing very solidly from the baseline, so I came on court and tried to be aggressive with my shots from the baseline.

“It worked very well. I think it was a very positive match for me and the chance to play again tomorrow means a lot to me. Two victories after a long time being outside of the professional Tour is something that makes me feel good.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion added he wants more game time on the court to feel at his absolute best.

“I need matches, I need health, I need to keep practising well and of course the past two matches here help, and even the doubles on the first day,” said Nadal, who has hinted that 2024 may be the final season of his career. “Of course, victories and hours spent on court help. For me, every day that I have the chance to play is great news, so I’m just happy for that, happy that I came back after a long time and feel competitive. Let’s see how far I can go.”

Nadal will next face another Australian, Jeff Thompson, on Friday.