"That settles it" - Mardy Fish jokes about Rafael Nadal vs Bjorn Borg clay court supremacy debate as Spaniard beats Swede's son Leo in Bastad 1R
Mardy Fish has also joined the debate about who is the better player between Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg in light of the former's first-round win at Nordea Open. The Spaniard defeated tennis legend Bjorn Borg's son Leo 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the singles draw.
Nadal decided to skip Wimbledon 2024 to prepare for the Paris Olympics, which will be played on the red dirt of the Roland Garros. The Spaniard started strong in his lead-up to the Olympics at the ATP 250 event in Bastad by winning both his first-round singles and doubles matches.
However, the single's triumph over Leo reignited the debate over the better clay-court player between Bjorn Borg and Nadal, with many humorously backing the latter.
Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg are widely regarded as two of the most dominant clay-court players in history. Borg secured six French Open titles in his illustrious career, while Nadal has amassed a record 14 Major titles on clay, sparking a long-running debate among fans.
Former American professional player Mardy Fish also joined the debate, backing the 22-time Major champion. He claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that Nadal's win over Leo Borg should settle the argument.
"Welp, that settles it," Fish wrote.
"Because, he's my captain" - Rafael Nadal on why he texted Bjorn Borg before his 1R battle in Bastad
After his win over Leo Borg, Rafael Nadal was asked during the on-court interview if he had messaged Bjorn Borg to share some insights with his son to make the match closer. Nadal humorously admitted he had, saying he did so because the 11-time Major champion was his Laver Cup captain.
“That's right, because, he's my captain. I haven't been playing a lot of tennis the last few months, So, I need victories for the confidence now. So, if he's a good captain today, it was for me,” he said.
After his first-round win at the Nordea Open, the 38-year-old faces Britain's Cameron Norrie next. The 28-year-old convincingly defeated Jozef Kovalik 7-6(4), 6-4 in the first round to advance further. Both have previously faced each other five times, with Nadal winning four of those matches. Norrie's lone victory came in their most recent encounter at the United Cup last year.
Currently focused on his preparations for the Olympics, the 22-time Major champion will team up with his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles tournament of the marquee event. This could be Nadal's last appearance at the Olympics, where he will aim to win his third gold, having previously won in Beijing in 2008 and Rio in 2016.