Rafael Nadal Makes Winning Return to Tennis Court in Bastad Doubles Match

Rafael Nadal, the renowned tennis player, marked his comeback to competitive play with a triumphant performance in a doubles match alongside Casper Ruud in Bastad.

The 38-year-old Spaniard’s return to the court comes after a surprising early exit at the French Open, where he fell to Alexander Zverev in the opening round on May 27. Nadal is utilizing these matches to prepare for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Teaming up with 25-year-old Ruud, Nadal displayed his prowess on the Swedish clay courts as they secured a victory against the second-seeded duo of Guido Andreozzi from Argentina and Miguel Reyes-Varela from Mexico in a rain-interrupted match.

The wildcard entries, Nadal and Ruud, demonstrated excellent synergy on the court, swiftly clinching the first set with two breaks. Despite rain interruptions at 3-3 in the second set, the pair maintained their focus and eventually closed out the match with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-4.

Nadal and Ruud have previously trained together at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, showcasing their comfort and understanding of each other’s playing styles during the match.

Opting to skip Wimbledon this month, Nadal is prioritizing his preparations for the Olympics set to be held at Roland Garros, a venue where he has had monumental success with 14 French Open titles to his name.

For the upcoming Paris Olympics, Nadal plans to compete in both singles and doubles events. In the singles, he is scheduled to face the 21-year-old Leo Borg, son of the iconic Bjorn Borg, who retired as the former world number one and is now 68.

Following the doubles win, Nadal praised the recent sporting achievements of Spain, especially highlighting Carlos Alcaraz‘s victory at Wimbledon and Spain’s success in Euro 2024. Alcaraz, who won Wimbledon, clinched the prestigious title just a day before Nadal’s doubles match in Bastad.

Despite experiencing rain delays during the match, Ruud commended Nadal’s performance and humorously remarked on the challenges of interruptions, playfully mentioning Nadal’s age and ability to handle breaks in play.

Leo Borg, currently ranked 467 in the world, participated in a doubles match on the same day but faced a loss alongside his partner.