Swedish Open: Nadal reaches first ATP Tour final since 2022

Rafael Nadal beat Duje Ajdukovic at the Swedish Open on Saturday to reach his first ATP Tour final  since 2022 as he gears up for the Paris Olympic Games.

The 38-year-old Spaniard has displayed exceptional form in Bastad, defeating notable opponents including Bjorn Borg’s son, British star Cameron Norrie, and Mariano Navone.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who has postponed retirement plans, faced Croatian world No.130 Ajdukovic following a gruelling four-hour match the previous day.

Despite the physical toll, Nadal staged a comeback to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, marking his first final since his record-extending 14th French Open title in June 2022. He will next face Nuno Borges or Thiago Agustin Tirante in Bastad.

Reflecting on his achievement, Nadal said: “It’s always a great feeling to be in a final. I won four matches in a row, ” excited Nadal said.

“I was not able to make that happen for two years ago. A lot of things happened. That’s the truth. Still in the process of recovering a lot of things I lost because I had a very important hip surgery almost one year ago… so things aren’t going that easy. But I’m fighting.

“I fought the whole tournament to be where I am today. Matches like yesterday and today help to improve a lot of things on the court. Happy with that. Let’s see if I’m able to play a little better tomorrow.”

On Sunday, Nadal will compete against seventh seed Nuno Borges of Portugal, who defeated unseeded Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina 6-4, 6-3 in their semi-final.