Physically reassured, Nadal was “not satisfied with (his) tennis” in Bastad
After his defeat against Nuno Borges in the final on Sunday, Rafael Nadal, in the run-up to the Olympic Games, took stock of his tournament while speaking to the press
Rafael Nadal, Bastad 2024
Image Credit: Zuma / Panoramic
After losing the Bastad final 6-3, 6-2 to Nuno Borges on Sunday, Rafael Nadal calmly took stock of the positives and negatives of his week at the Nordea Open.
“Empty of energy, physically and mentally” against Borges, the second Portuguese in history to win an ATP Tour title after João Sousa, Nadal blamed this exhaustion from the previous rounds. And rightly so. Between Friday and Saturday, in less than 24 hours, he spent six hours and 12 minutes on court: four hours to beat Mariano Navone 6-7², 7-5, 7-5 in the quarter-finals, and then 2 hours and 12 minutes to defeat Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 the next day.
Those two back-to-back wins was the most pleasing aspect for him in Sweden. Two months ago, when he returned, Nadal, the man who had set himself the principle of always fighting like a relentless man until the last strike, had to disown himself. Against Alex de Minaur, in Barcelona, he was forced to let the second set slip away in order not to risk an injury relapse on his 38-year-old body, already ravaged by numerous injuries.
My level of play was far from the one I produced in training.
On the banks of the Kattegat, his physical fitness held up for several hours at high intensity. “I was able to play long matches without any (physical) discomfort, which is a good sign,” said the Mallorcan, who had not won four matches in a row since qualifying for the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2022, where he had to withdraw due to an abdominal tear.
Although he reached his first final since his title at Roland-Garros two years ago, “Rafa” was not happy with the level of his game. Even if we exclude the Sunday clash, during which his dry tank did not allow him to compete at his best. “I can’t say that I’m satisfied with my tennis,” he explained. “My level of play was far from the one I produced in training.”
“I arrived here (in Bastad) with a very good feeling about my game, because of what I was doing in training,” he said. “But I wasn’t able to show it during the games.” In addition to his victories against Navone and Ajdukovic, respectively 35th and 105th in the ATP rankings this week, the left-hander from the Balearic Islands beat Leo Borg (ranked 532nd in the world) 6-3, 6-4 and Cameron Norrie (world No 43) 6-4, 6-4.
THE SERVICE: A BIG NEGATIVE POINT SINCE HIS RETURN
Considering himself too passive against Norrie, Nadal said he had to be more offensive in the next round against Navone. He managed to do so, but by making a lot of mistakes that were unusual compared to his standards, especially at the beginning of the match. His ball length was also irregular for several stretches. But the most disappointing part was his serve. Regularly attacked on his second serve, the Manacor native was broken eight times against Navone, five times against Ajdukovic, and again five times by Borges.
And, with his first serve, he won very few free points. Admittedly, Nadal’s serve has never been one of his main assets. But as he progressed, in the latter part of his career, it had more often allowed him to start the rally on his own terms and win points off unreturned serves. This had been all too rare in Scandinavia, and more generally since his return in April.
I know that if I play well in singles, I will also play well in doubles, but I will have to work hard.
Now, the man with 22 Grand Slam titles is headed for Paris. “My goal now is to find the right version to be able to play well (in competition),” he said. “The Olympics are the most important event in sport, it’s special to represent Spain. I’m looking forward to this week of preparation.”
The Olympic tournament has been scheduled to start on July 27, and Nadal is also playing in the men’s doubles event with Carlos Alcaraz to form one of the most highly anticipated teams in the history of tennis. “I know that if I play well in singles, I will also play well in doubles, but I will have to work hard,” said the 14-time French Open winner.
“And I’m convinced that Carlos will be at a great level, knowing that he arrives with confidence,” he added about his compatriot, the youngest player in the Open Era to have achieved the Roland-Garros – Wimbledon double.
After 2004, 2008 and 2016, Nadal will participate in his third Olympics. He already has two gold medals around his neck: a first won in singles in Beijing, and a second won in doubles with his partner Marc López, now a member of his staff, in Rio. A third at Roland-Garros would be another incredible feather in his cap.
