Rafael Nadal suffered a career-threatening hip injury at last year’s Australian Open. The Spaniard experienced the most extended break of his career, dropping out from the top-600 and working on his comeback since the first week of 2024.
Nadal made notable progress in the week behind us, reaching the title clash in Bastad, his first in over two years. Thus, the 22-time Major winner collected notable achievements right before his fourth Olympic Games in Paris.
Namely, Nadal became the third player in the Open era with an ATP semi-final 21 years after scoring the first, joining Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer on the exclusive list. The American tops the standings with 22 seasons before the first and last ATP semi-final, spreading them between Columbus 1971 and San Francisco 1993.
Federer stood a win away from matching that record two times in 2021, losing two quarter-finals and staying behind Connors with the semi-final run between Vienna 1999 and the Australian Open 2020.
Plagued with injuries, Nadal played his first ATP semi-final in Umag 21 years ago, a couple of weeks after turning 17. His most recent one in Bastad placed him right at the top with the other two legends, remaining competitive over two decades after his ATP debut despite injuries and setbacks.
The veteran entered his sixth tournament of the season, staying on clay after skipping the grass swing and practicing in Mallorca and Greece. The 2005 Bastad champion played his first Bastad match in 19 years against Bjorn Borg’s son Leo.
It was Nadal’s first match since the Roland Garros first-round loss, and he scored a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over the young gun.
Rafael Nadal reached an ATP semi-final 21 years after notching the first.
Rafa served well, keeping the pressure on the other side and earning his first triumph since May 9th.
Nadal served at 74% and faced no break points, forcing Borg to follow that pace to remain in contention. Leo fought nicely, especially in the second set. He played against four break points and got broken once in each set to propel the legend through.
The Spaniard tamed his strokes nicely, controlling the shortest and more advanced exchanges and moving over the top. Nadal moved in front with a break in the fourth game of the opening set after a drop shot winner and held at 15 in the next one for 4-1.
Leo bounced back from 0-30 in the eighth game, holding and extending the set. Rafa served for it at 5-3 and landed service winners, wrapping up the first part of the duel after 42 minutes. Borg got broken in the first game of the second set, pushing Nadal closer to the top.
Rafa landed a forehand winner in game two to cement the break and landed another two games later for 3-1. The Swede served well in the upcoming games, producing fine holds but lacking the pace on the return.
The Spaniard held at love in the eighth game with a winner at the net, forcing his rival to serve to stay in the match. Leo grabbed the ninth game with a forehand winner before Rafa sealed the deal with a service winner at 5-4, booking a place in the second round.
Nadal faced Cameron Norrie in a battle for a place in the quarter-final and scored a 6-4, 6-4 triumph in an hour and 43 minutes, reaching the last eight for the second time in 2024. Rafa served at 72% and saved three out of four break points, keeping the pressure on the other side.
He overcame a 4-1 deficit in set number two, rattling off five games and moving over the top.
Fighting for his first semi-final in over two years, Nadal battled past Mariano Navone 6-7, 7-5, 7-5 in a marathon quarter-final, prevailing after three hours and 59 minutes and entering the last four. Two rivals turned the encounter into an open war, and the veteran survived one of the most extended three-setters of his career.
Rafa grabbed ten points more than Mariano, delivering more efficient numbers behind the first serve but struggling on the second. Nadal played against 15 break points and suffered eight breaks.
The Spaniard responded with 21 break opportunities on his tally, seizing ten and making the difference with late return games in sets two and three.
Navone made a reliable start and broke Nadal three times in a row at the beginning of the duel. The veteran responded and reached a tie break, losing it and starting all over. The result went back and forth, and the more experienced player kept his composure in the pivotal moments for a notable triumph.
Thus, the 38-year-old reached an ATP semi-final 21 years after the first. Rafa’s body endured the effort, scoring another three-setter win over Duje Ajdukovic before falling to Nuno Borges in the final, lacking energy after a grueling week.
