In his first final appearance since claiming the 2022 French Open title, Rafael Nadal was defeated by Nuno Borges in the Swedish Open final on Sunday. The 38-year-old Spaniard, who has been plagued by injuries, expressed his disappointment with his performance level, citing fatigue and a grueling schedule
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Nadal, who has been limited to just six events this year due to a muscle tear and fitness issues, was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by the Portuguese seventh seed. Despite a strong start to the tournament, which included wins over Cameron Norrie, Mariano Navone, and Duje Ajdukovic, Nadal appeared to feel the effects of his exertions in the final.
“The level of my tennis was far from what it should be, and my energy levels were also depleted,” Nadal admitted in a post-match interview. “It’s been a long week with long matches, and I’m not used to playing four days in a row at this intensity.”
Nadal’s decision to skip Wimbledon this month was strategic, as he prepares for the Paris Olympics on the clay courts of Roland Garros, where he has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam singles titles. The former world number one, who expects to retire at the end of this year, is eyeing another Olympic gold medal, having won singles gold in 2008 and doubles gold in 2016.
In Paris, Nadal will team up with French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles event, which runs from July 27 to August 4. Despite his disappointing performance in the Swedish Open final, Nadal remains focused on his Olympic goals and will analyze his game to ensure he’s at his best for the upcoming tournament.
