Rafael Nadal battled his way to a four-set triumph against a cramping Jack Draper to begin the defense of his Australian Open crown.
Despite not being at his best, Nadal defeated Draper on Monday on Rod Laver Arena in a match that lasted more than 3 1/2 hours and went as follows: 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. It was Nadal's first victory in a game since 2023.
Since the conclusion of the previous season, he has lost six of his previous seven games.
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