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Rafael Nadal will compete in his first match since his first-round Roland-Garros defeat to Alexander Zverev, at the Nordea Open in Bastad next week. The Spaniard skipped the grasscourt swing entirely to focus on his claycourt preparation in the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Playing in what could very well be the final season of his career, Nadal holds a 7-5 win/loss record so far this year. His best result has been a quarterfinal finish in Brisbane at the start of the year. He made a promising start on the home soil in Madrid but was eventually seen off by a spirited Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round.
Nadal is set to feature in Bastad after nearly two decades. He debuted at the event in 2003 and last featured in 2005 when he won the crown. Given a wildcard ticket into the main draw this year, the 22-time Grand Slam champion will open his campaign against Leo Borg, son of the legendary Bjorn Borg.
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So, without further ado, here's Nadal's projected path to the final in Bastad:
Rafael Nadal's 1R opponent - Leo Borg
Rafael Nadal will open his Nordea Open campaign against fellow wildcard Leo Borg in the opening round.
The 21-year-old Swede is set to take part in his first ATP main draw match of the season. He last featured on tour at the Stockholm Open last year where he lost to Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-3 in the first round. Most of his tennis this year has been played on the challenger and ITF circuits.
Nadal and Borg have yet to face off in professional competition. The Spaniard should comfortably see himself through this contest despite his lack of match practice off-late.
Rafael Nadal's likely 2R opponent - Cameron Norrie
The draws have not been in Nadal's favor so far this year, and it's left him in the deep end once again in Bastad. Should he win his opener, fifth seed Cameron Norrie could be his next opponent.
The Brit has had a subpar season by his lofty standards. He's 14-13 this year and has dropped to as low as 42 in the men's charts. A run to the semifinals in Rio has been his best result yet. He's coming off a rather disappointing grasscourt swing on home soil where he picked up just three wins in seven games.
Nadal leads Norrie 4-1 in their head-to-head, but it was the Brit who won their previous encounter 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the United Cup last year. The pair have played twice on clay, with Norrie yet to win a set off the Spaniard.
Rafael Nadal's likely QF opponent - Mariano Navone
Fifth seed Mariano Navone could be Nadal's quarterfinal opponent should both of them make it safely through.
The 23-year-old Argentine is in the midst of a breakthrough season on the ATP tour. He has a 13-10 win/loss record so far. He's reached the finals in Rio and the semifinals in Marrakesh. Navone is coming off a subdued run on the grass where he failed to pick up a single victory.
Navone and Nadal haven't yet faced off in professional competition. It could be an extremely interesting encounter should they meet, given that the clay suits both their game styles.
Rafael Nadal's likely SF opponent - Casper Ruud
Rafael Nadal could face off against second seed Casper Ruud in a tantalizing last-four encounter. The pair are incidentally set to take part in the doubles competition together and will kick off their campaign against second seeds Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela and Guido Andreozzi.
Ruud holds a 39-10 match record this year. He picked up arguably the biggest title of his career in Barcelona earlier this year, seeing off Stefanos Tsitsipas in the finals. He's also picked up the title in Geneva and reached the finals in Los Cabos, Mexico, and Monte Carlo.
Ruud debuted in Bastad back in 2018, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Richard Gasquet. He won the event in 2021, beating Federico Coria in the finals in straight sets.
Ruud has yet to beat Nadal on the ATP tour and trails him 2-0 in their head-to-head. He will enter this contest as the favorite and could very likely pick up his first win against his idol.
Rafael Nadal's likely final opponent - Andrey Rublev
Defending champion Andrey Rublev and Rafael Nadal could face off in a blockbuster final should both make it safely through their respective halves of the draw.
Rublev holds a 24-11 match record this season. He's won the titles in Hong Kong and Monte Carlo, beating Emil Ruusuvuori and Casper Ruud. While he's found success on the clay, he's been unable to create a similar impact on the hard and grass courts. He's coming off a disappointing first-round defeat at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships to the relatively unknown Francisco Comesana.
Nadal edges Rublev 2-1 in their head-to-head, but it was the Russian who won their last encounter 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in Monte Carlo back in 2021.
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