Skip to main content Skip to footer 
Rafael Nadal fought through a nearly four-hour epic to reach his first semi-final of the year, overcoming Argentine Mariano Navone at the Swedish Open. The 38-year-old Spaniard secured a 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 7-5 victory, setting up a clash with Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic for a spot in the final.
In addition to his singles success, Nadal is set to play in the doubles semi-finals alongside Casper Ruud against Brazil’s Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos. This doubles run is part of his preparation for partnering with Carlos Alcaraz at the Olympics in Paris.
The match saw a thrilling first set that led to a tie-break, where Navone surged ahead. Despite losing his initial 3-0 lead in the second set, Nadal managed to break back and eventually leveled the match at 6-5. The 22-time Grand Slam champion then held his nerve to close out the tie on his second attempt.
“First of all, I’m looking forward to the afternoon and trying to recover this body,” Nadal commented. “Even if it’s a young body, I would need to work and recover once and for all. I will see how I wake up tomorrow.”
