With a hard-fought semi-final triumph at the Swedish Open in Bastad, Rafael Nadal shown he still has a lot of fight left in him.
Just days after learning he will never go back to his spectacular best, Rafael Nadal is in the position for a massive pay day. Rising from a set down to beat Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic 4-6 6-3 6-4 at the Swedish Open in Bastad, the Spanish tennis icon reached his first final since the 2022 French Open.
After a four-hour match on Friday with Mariano Navone, Nadal arrived in the semi-finals and Ajdukovic grabbed hold early on. He was a set and a break of serve-up before Nadal turned on his outstanding Paris Olympic preparations.
With the winner receiving 88,000 euros [about £74,000], Nadal triumphed in two hours and thirteen minutes to schedule a clash with Portugal’s Nuno Borges. Following his first-ever first-round exit at the French Open, the event he has owned for so long, and following depressing remarks from Brad Gilbert, Coco Gauff’s coach, who believes Nadal’s greatest years are behind him, the performance served as a morale booster for the 38-year-old.
“He’s most likely never going to reach his best level again,” Gilbert told CLAY. More than anything, though, I believe all athletes want to be free to go out on their own terms.
“They want to be and decide that you know what maybe it’s time for me to stop so he’s had so much you know you know injuries over the last two years that he probably hasn’t had a period where he’s really felt healthy and so that’s what he wants most more than anything, before he stops what’s game is like when he’s totally healthy.”
After his hard-earned victory over the hard-hitting Ajdukovic, Nadal was in a positive frame. “I felt the match was challenging,” he remarked.
“My opponent produced one of the finest backhands I had encountered. Though it was quite, very difficult, honestly, I managed to live and be through to that last after a protracted period without having a final.
“Being back in a final always makes one feel fantastic. I had not been able to arrange four consecutive wins since two years ago. I am fighting all through the competition to be here right now.
“I believe that matches like yesterday’s [against Navone] and today’s serve to greatly enhance many aspects on court. That makes me glad; let’s try whether I could perform a little bit better tomorrow.