Rafael Nadal's highly-anticipated return to action ended in defeat at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Friday as Andy Murray advanced to face Andrey Rublev in the final.
Nadal, the defending and record five-time MWTC champion, was playing his first match since ending his 2021 season in August due to a long-term foot problem.
Unsurprisingly, the Spaniard was lacking in match sharpness as Murray, who defeated fellow Briton Dan Evans in the quarter-finals on Thursday, recorded a 6-3, 7-5 victory at Zayed Sports City's International Tennis Centre.
There was still plenty for the Nadal-heavy crowd to cheer, and each time he delivered his trademark one-two punch of a line-grabbing serve followed by a whipping forehand winner, it was met with huge roars.
Murray may also be working his way back from serious injury but the three-time major winner is much further along in his progress, having ended the 2021 season with several back-to-back tournaments, and that gulf in additional match fitness was telling.
There was one break in each set, Murray striking in the sixth game of the first and in the 11th game of the second on his way to victory.
For Nadal, this was simply the next step on his long road to recovery and he will take another when he faces Canadian world No 14 Denis Shapovalov in the third-place playoff on Saturday.
"It was a good comeback in my opinion," Nadal said. "Of course, it's been a long period of time without playing – I’ve only played one match and a half since Roland Garros, and I’m not playing against an easy opponent to start, so it’s difficult.
"I think I did a lot of things well, a lot of things after a long period of time I need to recover; some things when you are in a competition that come automatically, now I have to think more or you don’t have that extra time to choose the right decision. But in general, a positive match."
Their match in Abu Dhabi was the first time Nadal and Murray had shared a court in more than five years, dating back to the 2016 Madrid Masters, which provides an indication of their respective injury issues in recent times. Nadal said he is happy to see Murray back playing well, although he was much more focused on himself, considering the circumstances.
"Honestly, I was not even thinking about tactics or if anything surprised me on court," the Spaniard said. "I was only thinking about my things, the way I want to play.
"As I said yesterday, I didn't come here with big expectations for results. The focus is being on the court, enjoying, trying to play some good tennis, and feel my way back again.
"I see [Murray] playing very well but I couldn’t say if anything surprised me because I know how good is Andy. He is one of the best players I ever saw."
It was another encouraging performance by Murray, who made it plainly clear on the eve of MWTC that he is leaving "no stone unturned" next season in his attempts to return to the top of the game.
"I played a solid match and served well, so I didn’t give him too many opportunities. But it was probably a combination of me playing solid and dictating a lot of the points and him hardly playing for the last five or six months," Murray said. "I know how that feels. I’ve gone almost a year without competing and its hard, and it doesn’t get easier when you’re older.
Looking ahead to the final, Murray said: "Tomorrow will also be important because Rublev is one of the top few players in the world who attacks, so I need to be solid in defence."
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Rating: 4/5
