Rafa Nadal made a strong return to competition at the Swedish Open in Bastad on Monday, gearing up for his upcoming bid at the Paris Olympics. Teaming up with Casper Ruud of Norway, Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, secured a solid 6-1, 6-4 victory over second-seeded Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Reyes-Varela on the clay courts of Bastad.
This tournament marks Nadal’s first appearance at the ATP 250 event since his singles victory as a 19-year-old in 2005. Opting to skip Wimbledon, Nadal chose instead to prepare for the Olympics on the familiar clay of Roland Garros, where he holds a record 14 French Open singles titles.
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“I am happy and I think it was a good match. We played quite well in the first time we played together and I’m happy to be back here after almost 20 years,” Nadal commented on court, reminiscing about his previous successes in Bastad in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
In addition to doubles, Nadal is also set to compete in singles at Bastad, where he is scheduled to face Leo Borg in the first round, the son of Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg. Looking ahead to the Olympics, Nadal will partner with Carlos Alcaraz, the recent winner of the French Open and Wimbledon, in the doubles event in Paris.
Despite rain delays disrupting their match on Monday, prompting some playful remarks from Ruud about Nadal’s adaptability to stop-start conditions, the Spanish veteran showed his resilience and readiness for the challenges ahead in both Bastad and the Olympics.Nadal prepares for Olympics with doubles victory in Bastad
