"Things aren't that easy but I'm fighting" - Rafael Nadal cautiously optimistic after reaching first ATP final in 2 years at Nordea Open
Rafael Nadal got the better of Duje Ajduković in the Nordea Open semifinal on July 20 to reach his first final since May 2022. The Spaniard revealed that he was still recovering from his hip surgery but felt great to be in a final.
Nadal played a four-hour marathon on Friday in Bastad against Mariano Navone in the quarterfinal. He won the match 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5. Similarly, in the semifinal against Croatian qualifier Ajduković, he started slow off the blocks and lost the first set.
In the second set, the Spaniard went a break down before turning the match on its head. He broke the Croat five times within the second and the third set to seal the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Ajduković was also working towards pulling off a comeback when he made it 3-3 in the decider from 0-3 down. However, Nadal broke soon after to clinch the match.
The 38-year-old will play a tour-level final for the first time since playing in the 2022 French Open final. Within the two years, Nadal has gone through multiple injuries. He even underwent a hip surgery and the Spaniard claimed he was still recovering all 'things' he has 'lost' in these two years.
“It’s always a great feeling to be in a final. I won 4 matches in a row. I wasn’t able to make that happen since 2 years ago. A lot of things happened. That’s the truth," Nadal said during his on-court interview.
"Still in this process of recovering a lot of things I lost because I had a very important hip surgery almost 1 year ago.. so things aren’t going that easy. But I’m fighting. I fought the whole tournament to be where I am today," he added.
"One of the best backhands that I played against" - Rafael Nadal all praise for Duje Ajduković after Nordea Open SF
Rafael Nadal took two hours and 13 minutes to defeat World No. 130 Duje Ajduković. The Spaniard was all praise for his opponent after the Nordea Open semifinal where he even claimed that Croat had one of the best backhands he has come up against.
“I think it was a tough match. My opponent had one of the best backhands that I played against,” Nadal said during his on-court interview.
“He came here with a lot of confidence. I think I was trying to push him back. It was very, very difficult, honestly, but I found a way to survive and be through to that final after a long time without being in a final. So that’s great news and I’m very happy with that,” he added.
Just hours after his semifinal in the singles event, Nadal was scheduled to play the semifinal in the doubles event with partner Casper Ruud. However, the Spaniard decided to withdraw from the doubles following his semifinal against Ajduković.
Nadal, who won the Nordea Open singles title in 2005, will take on either Nuno Borges or Thiago Agustin Tirante in the final on Sunday, July 21.