Rafael Nadal, the 38-year-old Spanish tennis legend, has made a triumphant return to competitive tennis after a 49-day hiatus following his French Open exit. Partnering with Norway’s Casper Ruud, Nadal secured a victory in the doubles match at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden, defeating second seeds Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Reyes-Varela with a score of 6-1, 6-4.This return to the clay courts of Bastad, where Nadal won the singles title in 2005 as a 19-year-old, is part of his preparation for the upcoming Paris Olympics. Nadal expressed his happiness to be back, saying, ‘I think it was a good match for the first time we played together’. He also mentioned feeling ‘good, more or less okay’ physically.Looking ahead, Nadal is set to face Leo Borg, the 21-year-old son of Swedish tennis great Bjorn Borg, in the singles tournament. The Spanish champion plans to compete in both singles and doubles at the Olympics, where he will partner with recent Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz.Meanwhile, Alcaraz’s recent triumph at Wimbledon, his fourth Grand Slam title at just 21 years old, has drawn praise from Nadal. ‘It’s difficult to put into words that Alcaraz has four ‘Grand Slams’ at 21,’ Nadal remarked, celebrating the young champion’s achievement. Alcaraz himself remains humble, praising his competitor Jannik Sinner and expressing his desire to continue improving.As Nadal prepares for his fourth Olympic appearance, where he hopes to add to his gold medals from Beijing 2008 (singles) and Rio 2016 (doubles with Marc Lopez), the tennis world eagerly anticipates the performance of both the seasoned champion and the rising star Alcaraz at the Paris Games.
Key points
- Rafael Nadal has returned to competitive tennis, winning a doubles match at the Nordea Open in Bastad.
- Nadal is preparing for the Paris Olympics, where he will compete in both singles and doubles with Carlos Alcaraz.
- Carlos Alcaraz recently won his fourth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, earning praise from Nadal.
