"Finally settles Nadal vs Borg debates"; "Need Bjorn Borg to play Rafa Jr. for fair rematch"- Fans joke as Spaniard beats Swede's son Leo in Bastad 1R

Fans had an overall comical take on Rafael Nadal defeating Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg's son Leo Borg in the first round of the 2024 Nordea Open in Bastad. This is the Spaniard's first tournament since his first-round exit at the 2024 French Open.

Nadal has entered the ATP 250 tournament via a main draw wildcard. He faced fellow wildcard Leo in the opening round on Tuesday (July 16) and dispatched the young Swede 6-3, 6-4, courtesy of one break of serve in each set.

The matchup caught the eye of the tennis world. It was a comeback for the 14-time Roland Garros champion, who faced the son of six-time Roland Garros champion Bjorn Borg. Tennis fans had plenty to say about the contest, and many joked that the outcome finally settled the debate of who, between Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg, is the greatest claycourt player of all time.

A fan suggested that Bjorn needed to play against Nadal's son Rafa Jr., while another wondered if the Swede set up the match so his son could play against the Spanish legend.

"Finally settles any Nadal vs Borg debates," a fan wrote.

"Now we need Björn Borg to play against Rafa Junior for a fair rematch," another fan joked.

"Part of you has to wonder if Bjorn set this match up just so his son could play against Rafa though...," a fan said.

A fan quipped that Bjorn might have given the Spaniard a call before the match while another expressed the need for Leo to face Rafa Jr. in the future to create a generational rivalry.

"Bjorn gave him a call last night," a fan commented on Reddit.

"Now Leo can face Rafa Junior in 18 years and create a generational rivalry," wrote another fan.

"Good win but I’m not sure if beating a 68 year old who last won a slam in 1981 is a particularly good test of form," a fan quipped.

A few fans also saw the match as a moment to mark the "changing of the guard" in men's tennis. Others were happy to see the 38-year-old icon back on the court and registering an encouraging win.

"A real changing of the guard moment," a fan opined.

"I’m just happy Nadal was able to be on the court again and he was able to win too. He did pretty good today ❤️," a fan said.

Rafael Nadal to face Cameron Norrie in 2R at Nordea Open

Picture from the 2024 Wimbledon Championships

Rafael Nadal will face No. 5 seed Cameron Norrie in the second round of the Nordea Open on Thursday, July 18. The Brit defeated Jozef Kovalik in straight sets in his first-round contest. Norrie is way behind his next opponent in the head-to-head record, as the Spaniard has won four out of the five matches. But it was Norrie who emerged victorious in their last encounter at the 2023 United Cup.

Nadal is also playing doubles at Bastad alongside Casper Ruud. The duo registered a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 win in their first-round match against Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela and Guido Andreozzi. They will now face Theo Arribage and Roman Safiullin in the second round on Wednesday.

The Nordea Open is serving as a practice tournament for the former World No. 1 before he represents his nation at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He is set to partner with Carlos Alcaraz to play doubles at the Olympic Games.