After winning the two marathons in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, Rafael Nadal showed up exhausted for the final against the Portuguese Nuno Borges, who defeated him in two sets.
In the end, Rafael Nadal surrendered: after the four-hour battle against Mariano Navone and the two-hour semi-final with Duje Ajdukovic, the Mallorcan — back in a final at the ATP in Bastad where he triumphed in 2005 — conceded in about an hour and a half and in two sets (6-3, 6-2) in the final act against the Portuguese Nuno Borges (best ranking 46th place last February, now he is at 51st). The clear defeat of the former world number one against a modest opponent in his first career final at the age of 27 is concerning, especially with just a week to go before the tournament begins at the Olympics, which will, however, be played at Roland Garros, thus in his own backyard.
Exhausted and uncomfortable
Nadal entered the draw with a wild card, reaching his 72nd final on clay, the first in his career in the major circuit since the 2022 Roland Garros. From the start, he appeared very tired, unable to keep up with the pace of his opponent, who was simply more comfortable. The Spaniard struggled especially on his second serve (only 5 points won out of 18).
July 21, 2024 (updated on July 21, 2024 | 16:04)
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