Rafael Nadal’s tournament preparing for the Olympics ended with a final defeat in Båstad, Sweden on Sunday. Even the final opponent hoped for the tennis legend’s victory.
Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal the tournament preparing for the Olympics ended with a final defeat in Båstad, Sweden on Sunday. Nadal reached his first ATP final in two years, but had to bow to the Portuguese For Nuno Borges 3–6, 2–6. The ATP-level tournament victory was the first in Borges’ career for the 51st ranked Borges.
– I know that we all wanted Rafa to win, part of me hoped for that too. I don’t know what to say, I’m really emotional, Borges revealed.
Nadal has been plagued by injuries over the past two years, and his last singles match before the Swedish tournament was a first-round loss at the French Open in May. However, the 38-year-old Spanish champion showed glimpses of the success of the past years.
On the way to the final, Nadal, among other things, according to his own words, had the honor of meeting a tennis legend Björn Borg of a boy Leo Borg’s.
Nadal will play in the Paris Olympics, where tennis will start immediately on the opening weekend of the Games. In addition to singles, Nadal plays men’s doubles as his successor Carlos Alcarazin with.