Rafael Nadal teamed up with Casper Ruud in the doubles event at the Nordea Open in Bastad on Monday, but their match against Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Reyes-Varela was interrupted by rain midway through the second set. Nadal and Ruud dominated the first set, winning 6-1. They were leading in the second set when Andreozzi and Reyes-Varela broke Nadal’s serve. The match was halted with the score tied at 3-3 due to rain, but Nadal and Ruud eventually secured a 6-4 victory, eliminating the second seeds.
Nadal has struggled with injuries over the past 18 months and was knocked out in the first round of this year’s French Open by Alexander Zverev. He skipped the grass court season, including Wimbledon, to prepare for the Paris Olympics. The doubles match in Sweden was his first competitive appearance since his early exit at Roland Garros.
Nadal last played in the ATP 250 event in Bastad in 2005, when he won the singles title. This year, he is set to play singles again and will face Bjorn Borg’s son, Leo, in the first round. Borg Jr. expressed his excitement about the matchup, calling it “crazy” and “a great match.”
Nadal will partner with Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic Games doubles, to be held at Roland Garros. Spanish men’s captain David Ferrer announced the partnership a month ago. Nadal confirmed his Olympic participation and his decision to skip Wimbledon, stating, “With this goal, we believe that the best for my body is not to change surface and keep playing on clay until then.”
