Rafael Nadal cruised past Leo Borg, the son of tennis legend Bjorn Borg, securing a spot in the second round of the Bastad Open on Tuesday as he gears up for the Paris Olympics. This marked Nadal's first singles appearance since his early exit in the opening round at Roland Garros on May 27, and he comfortably won 6-3, 6-4 under rainy conditions.
Both Nadal and the 21-year-old Borg, ranked 461st globally, were granted wild cards for the Swedish clay-court event. Despite a brief scare when the former world number one slipped on a wet line, Nadal broke serve for a 3-1 lead, delivering four aces to claim the first set in 43 minutes. A swift break in the second set solidified the Spaniard's position, and he closed out the match on his second match point after 1 hour and 25 minutes, marking his eighth ATP tour victory this season.
"It's good, I'm finally defending my title," Nadal quipped, referencing his last appearance in Bastad when he won the title at 19 in 2005. "I haven't been playing much tennis in the past few months. The atmosphere is great, playing in front of a full crowd means a lot to me, and I'm fortunate to have played without rain interruptions." He credited his team and the fans for their support, noting, "Even in tougher moments, I've been able to keep pushing with their help, and the fans provide incredible energy."
The 22-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged his opponent, the son of the retired former world number one Bjorn Borg, now 68. "It's a huge honor to play against the son of one of the biggest legends in our sport's history," Nadal said. "I think he played quite well and has a bright future ahead. I wish him the best." Nadal's next challenge will be against fifth seed Cameron Norrie, who defeated Slovak Jozef Kovalik 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.
Nadal opted out of Wimbledon to concentrate on the Olympics, which will be held at Roland Garros, where he has won 14 French Open titles. Additionally, on Monday, Nadal partnered with Casper Ruud for a doubles victory on clay in Bastad, just two weeks before the Paris Games. Top seed Andrey Rublev will commence his campaign on Wednesday against Argentina's Thiago Tirante, ranked 121st.
