"I am recovering the speed, playing much better than 2 months ago" - Rafael Nadal admits need to 'continue progress' after reaching Nordea Open final

Rafael Nadal acknowledged that he needed to improve further after reaching the final of the Nordea Open in Bastad. This will be the Spaniard's first final since he won the 2022 French Open.

Nadal was granted a wildcard entry to the main draw of the ATP 250 clay-court event in Bastad, Sweden. He began his campaign by defeating wildcard Leo Borg in the first round, followed by a win against fifth seed Cameron Norrie in the second round .

The Spaniard then overcame fourth seed Mariano Navone in the quarterfinals, a match which lasted for four hours, becoming the third longest best-of-three match since 1991 and the second longest of the former World No.1's career.

At the semifinals, Rafael Nadal defeated Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 13 minutes to move to the final where he will go up against seventh seed Nuno Borges.

Speaking to the press following his win over Ajdukovic, the former World No.1 spoke about the areas of his game he felt needed improvement. He mentioned that he is slowly regaining the speed of his legs which would subsequently enable him to deliver his powerful forehand shots.

"There are many things in which I must continue to evolve. The main thing is reading the game, choosing the right shot at important moments. Little by little, I am recovering the speed of my legs that allows me to hit my forehand with power," he said (translated from Spanish).

The Spaniard stated that he is playing much better compared to two months ago. However he said that he needed to continue to evolve and "progress."

"I am playing much better than two months ago, but I must continue to progress. I have to accept all the challenges that come and be willing to suffer on the court to continue giving myself opportunities to succeed," he added.

Rafael Nadal will face Nuno Borges in the final of Nordea Open 2024

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal will go up against the seventh seed, Nuno Borges in the final of the 2024 Nordea Open.

Borges kicked off his campaign in Bastad, Sweden by defeating lucky loser Andrea Pellegrino 6-2, 7-6(3) in the first round. He then went on to secure a victory against his compatriot Henrique Rocha with a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the second round.

The former World No.46 then overcame qualifier Timofey Skatov 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals and Thiago Agustín Tirante 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals to advance to the final where he will face off against the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

Rafael Nadal and Nuno Borges have never faced each other on the ATP Tour therefore their head-to-head record currently stands at 0-0.