Rafael Nadal’s preparation for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics has kicked off in style at the Nordea Open in Bastad. The Spaniard has teamed up with protege Casper Ruud for the doubles and will also play in singles. The 38-year-old has been dealing with injuries since the beginning of last year which has kept him out of action for a long time.
Nadal made his return to the clay in almost two years at the Barcelona Open following which he went on to compete in the Madrid Open, Italian Open, and the French Open. However, the Spaniard, widely regarded as ‘The King of Clay’ was a shadow of his former self, failing to make it past the fourth round in any of these tournaments.
The 38-year-old skipped the grass swing to prepare for the Paris Olympics, where he is set to play in singles and doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz, which will be held in Roland Garros on clay. He returned to the Nordea Open in Bastad where he will be competing in singles and doubles, for which he has teamed up with Casper Ruud.
The duo kicked off their run by comfortably knocking out the second-seeded pair of Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela and Guido Andreozzi 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and 41 minutes to reach the quarterfinals. They will meet the winners of the match between Cameron Norrie-Mariano Navone and Roman Safiullin-Theo Arribage.
Rafael Nadal to kick off his singles campaign in Bastad against Bjorn Borg’s son Leo
Rafael Nadal will kick off his singles campaign at the Nordea Open against Bjorn Borg’s son Leo Borg. Leo, who has received a wild card, competed in Bastad last year as well. He made it to the second round where he was defeated by Federico Coria.
Nadal, on the other hand, became a champion in Bastad in 2005 when he came back from a set down and defeated Tomas Berdych 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Meanwhile, Bjorn Borg won the title thrice (1974, 1978, 1979).
Both men are widely regarded as two of the greatest players on clay. Borg held the record for most French Opens (six) in men’s singles before Nadal (14) broke it.
Rafael Nadal and Leo Borg are joined by defending champion Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Cameron Norrie, Nuno Borges, and others at the Nordea Open.
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Source: Tampa Bay Times
