With his run to the event final at the Bastad Open—his first final since the 2022 French Open—we got a peek of the King of Clay. Rafael Nadal’s comeback to the game for what might be his final match has not been easy because to his recent struggles with hip and abdominal problems. There is, however, some hope that the Spaniard still has more to offer given his recent strong performance in Bastad.
In 2024, Rafael Nadal
After overcoming Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler, he advanced to the quarterfinals in Brisbane, where his 2024 campaign began brightly. He tore a microtear in his muscle during his match against Jordan Thompson, which kept him out of the Australian Open. He made a comeback to start the clay-court season at the Barcelona Open. He participated in the Madrid Open and the Italian Open as part of his preparation for the French Open. He put in a lot of work, but the results were not what he had hoped for.
He met an in-form Alexander Zverev in the opening round of the French Open, who had gained momentum after his triumphant campaign in Rome. A number of prominent spectators, including former opponent Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Carlos Alcaraz, watched the match on Court Philippe Chatrier. But right once it was evident that this was not the Nadal of old—the dexterous, brilliant player who had won 14 trophies in Paris. Even so, he gave it everything he had, landing a few of his signature forehands, but it was not enough to win a set, much alone the match, as Nadal lost 3-6 6-7 3-6.
“I feel at peace with myself if this is the last time I play here. To be prepared for this, I tried everything for two years. After the match, Rafael Nadal remarked, “I lost, but that is part of the business.”
Nadal’s will to fight was evident in Båstad despite this setback. In the Swedish Open, he defeated Leo Borg, Cameron Norrie, Mariano Navone, and Duje Ajduković on route to the championship match. He met 27-year-old Nuno Borges, who was playing in his first ATP final, in the championship match. The Portuguese player prevailed 6-3 6-2, but in spite of this defeat, traces of the King of Clay were evident all through the competition, possibly in preparation for his attack in Paris later this month.
Olympic Get Ready
The Roland Garros clay courts will host tennis competitions during the Paris Olympics. Nadal skipped the crucial Wimbledon tournament as well as the grass season in order to avoid the shift in surfaces, which is usually physically demanding. “With this goal [competing at the Olympics], we believe that the best for my body is not to change surface and keep playing on clay until then,” Rafael Nadal stated on social media.
2008 saw Nadal win the Beijing Olympics’ singles gold, while 2016 saw him and Marc Lopez win the Rio doubles gold. He is scheduled to play in the Paris singles and doubles draws. Nadal will be partnered by 2024 Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz to represent Spain. Alcaraz is going to make his Olympic debut.
Nadal is a seasoned winner who has achieved some success in clay-court competitions. The entire world is eagerly awaiting the Spaniard’s arrival on the clay courts of Roland Garros, where he has previously made history, for a second chance this year. Is it possible for him to repeat it? Undoubtedly, the response is no, but stranger things have happened nonetheless.