Rafael Nadal reaches first final since 2022 French Open.
BASTAD, Sweden -- Rafael Nadal reached his first final since the 2022 French Open by rallying to beat Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Saturday at the clay-court Nordea Open.After needing four hours to beat 36th-ranked Mariano Navone in Friday's quarterfinals, Nadal had a slow start against Ajdukovic and was a break down in the second set before turning things around.
"My opponent had one of the best backhands that I played against," Nadal said. "It was very, very difficult, honestly, but I found a way to survive and be through to that final after a long time without being in a final. So that's great news, and I'm very happy with that."
Nadal will play either Nuno Borges or Thiago Agustin Tirante in the final.
Nadal is playing at the tournament in Sweden for the first time since he won the title as a 19-year-old in 2005 as he prepares for the Olympic tournament on clay at Roland Garros in Paris.
Nadal, 38, skipped Wimbledon as he didn't want to switch surfaces to grass and then back to clay and risk injury. He has been dealing with hip and abdominal injuries over the past 1½ years.
Rafa Nadal hitting some INCREDIBLE forehands in Bastad. Two forehand down the line winners back to back. The king of clay is finding it.
I'm still the process of recovering the things that I lost... But I am fighting"
Nuno Borges tops Rafael Nadal in Sweden for 1st ATP Tour title.
BASTAD, Sweden -- Rafael Nadal's winning run at the clay-court Nordea Open ended Sunday when the Spaniard was beaten by Nuno Borges 6-3, 6-2 in the final Sunday.The seventh-seeded Portuguese player broke the Nadal serve five times on his way to a first ATP Tour title. It was Nadal's first final since the 2022 French Open.
It's crazy, in tennis it doesn't happen when you expect it sometimes," said Borges. "I know we all wanted Rafa to win, a part of me wished that too, but something even bigger inside of me really pushed through today."
Nadal was playing at the tournament in Sweden for the first time since he won the title as a 19-year-old in 2005 as he prepares for the Olympic tournament on clay at Roland Garros in Paris.
The 38-year-old Nadal skipped Wimbledon as he didn't want to switch surface to grass and then back to clay and risk injury. He has been dealing with hip and abdominal injuries over the past 1½ years.
