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Rafael Nadal is cautiously optimistic about his participation in the Australian Open after requiring medical attention during a challenging loss to Jordan Thompson at his comeback tournament.

Initially on track for another straight-sets victory at the Brisbane International, Nadal faced a turning point when he missed a backhand overhead and squandered match points, ultimately succumbing to a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-3 defeat against Australian Thompson, after a grueling three hours and 25 minutes

Of greater concern was Nadal's off-court medical time-out at 1-4 in the deciding set. Despite returning to the court without overt discomfort, the 37-year-old, who underwent surgery on the psoas tendon in his left hip in June, revealed that the current issue is in the same area.

Speaking to reporters in Brisbane, Nadal shared, "I feel the muscle tired. I mean, for sure it’s not the same like last year at all because when it happened I felt something drastic immediately. Today I didn’t feel anything. The only problem is because the place is the same, you are a little bit more scared than usual."

Expressing cautious optimism, he added, "I need to see how I wake up tomorrow morning. We have been talking these last days, talking about the positive things. That’s why I am not over-positive when I have been talking."

Acknowledging the challenges of returning to top-level competition after a year-long absence, Nadal highlighted the uncertainty surrounding how his body would react under increased pressure.

"I hope it is not important, and I hope to have the chance to be practicing next week and to play Melbourne. Honestly, I am not 100 per cent sure of anything now," Nadal said, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding his participation in the upcoming Australian Open.