Nadal reaches Nordic Open tennis final… for first time in two years

Rafael Nadal (261st, Spain) has reached the singles final of a top-level men’s tennis event on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour for the first time in nearly two years.

The Spaniard defeated Duje Azkovic (130th, Croatia) 2-1 (4-6 6-3 6-4) in the singles semifinals on day six of the ATP Tour Nordic Open (€579,320) in Bastad, Sweden, on Sunday.

It was Nadal’s first singles final at a Tour-level event since winning the French Open in June 2022, two years and one month after he won the title.

Nadal’s 2-1 (6-7<2-7> 7-5 7-5) victory over Mariano Navone (No. 36-Argentina) in a four-hour match the day before, and his 2-hour, 13-minute victory the following day, gave him confidence in his fitness.

Nadal played little on tour last year due to injuries, including back and abdominal muscles, and will retire after this season.

If Nadal wins the tournament, it will be his 93rd career Tour-level singles title.

His final opponent will be Nuno Borges (#51-Portugal).

Nadal, who won this event in 2005, will be looking to regain the title after a 19-year absence.

Nadal withdrew from the doubles semifinals of the tournament, where he was paired with Kasper Rudd (NOR).

Nadal, who will also compete in the singles and doubles at the Paris Olympics this year, will move up to around 135 in the world rankings if he wins this tournament. He is already ranked around 161 after reaching the final. 바카라사이트