The Spanish winner joked at the end of the match in Bastad won in doubles with the Norwegian
In both singles and doubles, they are the clear stars of the ATP event in Bastad: Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud beat Theo Arribage and Roman Safiullin 6-4, 3-6, 12-10 in the semifinals of the doubles event. In the last super tie-break, both the Spanish player and the Norwegian player saved a match point and then closed the match and celebrated.
In the post-match interview, Nadal joked about the nickname to be given to the new team, recalling the nickname Fedal used by everyone to remember his historic rivalry with Roger Federer and the doubles challenges played together with the Swiss great at the Laver Cup.
“I believe we had a good time. It was a tough match in the end, but we played good tennis against two very good players. We liked the game, and the crowd was amazing. Seeing the stadium full for a doubles matches is great. I’m loving every single day here in Bastad. A new nickname? First Fedal and now Ruudal, both are good!” said Rafa, mocking Ruud and Federer.
Ruud instead gave everyone a smile by mentioning the loss suffered against Thiago Monteiro in singles this morning.
“I have Fedal and now Ruudal” 🎤🤣🔊@RafaelNadal learns the new nickname alongside @CasperRuud98 @NordeaOpen | #NordeaOpen pic.twitter.com/zTmk7vXnOk
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 17, 2024
“When you can’t win in singles, you have to try to win in doubles! My day didn’t start in the best way, but it ended well. Winning as a team with Rafa is special. We saved a match point, so we were also a little lucky. We can’t wait to play the next match,” he said.
After beating Leo Borg in the first round of the tournament, Nadal praises his young opponent and analyzes his physical condition and his win.
“I feel good, I feel very good now. Even though the weather conditions have always been complicated so far, I feel lucky to have the chance to play here on Centre Court. I’m happy to have finished the match without rain. It’s an honor for me to play against the son of one of the best legends in the history of our sport. I think Leo played well, he has a great future ahead of him, so I can only wish him the best. Bjorn is my captain in the Laver Cup, so I asked him for tips on playing this match.
I needed it, since I haven’t been able to play much in the last few months. I need to get wins to gain confidence. The feeling was fantastic, it always is when you play in such a packed stadium. It means a lot to me to feel the love of the people, even on training days. It’s true that in the most difficult moments you can count on the strength of your team, but also feeling the support of the fans is important to fight with maximum energy. I take this chance to thank all of you who are here,” he explained.