Rafael Nadal reached his first semifinal in two years after a hard-fought quarterfinal match at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden. The match, which lasted four hours, saw Nadal overcoming the challenge posed by Mariano Navone of Argentina, ranked 36th in the world. Despite dropping the first set in a tiebreak, Nadal displayed his trademark resilience to secure a 6-7 (2), 7-5, 7-5 victory. Notably, Nadal held a 5-2 lead in the deciding set before closing out the match.
Reflecting on his performance, Nadal acknowledged moments where he lost concentration but emphasized his ability to maintain his physicality until the end. In an on-court interview, Nadal expressed the importance of his physical resilience in securing the hard-fought win. Looking ahead, Nadal remained optimistic about his condition for the upcoming matches, stating, 'Let's see how I am tomorrow, but today I am alive and in the semifinals.'
The 38-year-old Nadal, who is competing in his first tournament since a surprising early exit at the French Open, is using the Nordea Open as preparation for the Paris Olympics on the clay courts of Roland Garros. With his eyes set on a strong performance, Nadal is determined to make the most of his return to competitive action.
In the semifinals, Nadal is set to face Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic in what promises to be an intriguing matchup. This semifinal appearance marks Nadal's first since the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, underscoring his enduring competitiveness and ability to excel on the ATP Tour.
