Rafael Nadal issues candid admission and drops massive claim about Bastad qualifier

21/07/2024 13:00

Rafael Nadal admitted that he has pretty much been in "a fighting mode" throughout the entire week in Bastad and also dropped quite a praise on Duje Ajdukovic, saying the 130th-ranked Croatian has "one of the best backhands" he has ever played against. 

When Nadal took to the court on Saturday, he had his first final since the 2022 French Open final at stake. And after a slow start and finding himself in a potentially tricky situation, the 22-time Grand Slam champion found a way to recover and beat qualifier Ajdukovic 4-6 6-3 6-4. 

For 23-year-old Ajdukovic - who has never been ranked higher than No. 115 - this was just his third ATP appearance this year. But in his first meeting against Nadal, not only that the 23-year-old Croatian didn't embarrass himself, but he also came close to upsetting the former world No. 1. 

“I think it was a tough match. The opponent had one of the best backhands I’ve played against. He came here with a lot of confidence. I was trying to push him back. It was very difficult. I found a way to survive and be through to the final after a long time without being in a final. That’s great news and I’m very very happy with that," Nadal said of Ajdukovic after their match.

Considering that Nadal has played in what many consider the greatest tennis generation, his praise for Ajdukovic was absolutely something big. 

After deciding not to play any grass tournaments and instead use that month for a month of practice on clay, Nadal arrived in Bastad this week without many expectations since there were still certain questions marks about his game and condition. And while the 38-year-old Spaniard definitely hasn't looked like his prime version this week in Bastad, he has still managed to put himself in a position to be one win away from winning it all.

Apart from making the final, one thing has been huge for Nadal - he passed the fitness test. After clinching back-to-back wins over Leo Borg and Cameron Norrie, Nadal outlasted Mariano Navone in a quarterfinal thriller that lasted nearly four hours before earning another hard-fought win the following day. 

Nadal's run to the Bastad final maybe hasn't been smooth but it is his first since his hip surgery and that is making it a very special achievement. 

“Always it is a great feeling to be back in a final. I have won four matches in a row, something I was not able to make happen since two years ago. A lot of things happened, but still in this process of recovering, a lot of things I lost, because I had a very important hip surgery almost one year ago," Nadal said.

“So things were not going that easy, but I am fighting. I am fighting during the whole tournament to be where I am today, and I think matches like yesterday’s, like today’s, help to improve a lot of things on court. I am happy with that, and let’s see if I am able to play a little bit better tomorrow.”

After Nadal got the job done against Ajdukovic, world No. 51 Borges sealed the remaining final spot after ousting Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3 6-4. 

“Very emotional. I knew he was tired so I needed to stick to my plan. Great crowd, great atmosphere. They helped me battle through my demons," Borges said after beating Tirante.

When 27-year-old Borges takes on Nadal today, he will be debuting in an ATP final. On the other side, has won 92 titles over the course of his career and the experience of playing in these matches will fully be on the 38-year-old's side. 

Heading into the final, Borges' mindset is to keep it simple - try to enjoy it but also do everything he can to stun Nadal and make it a fairytale week in Bastad. 

"Just sharing the court with Nadal, specially in a final, is a dream came true. I will try to enjoy as much as possible and still try to be competitive and win," Borges said of facing Nadal.

So far this week, Borges has had three straight-set wins and one win in three sets but it should be noted that neither of those victories came against a top-100 player as Tirante, Andrea Pellegrino, Henrique Rocha and Timofey Skatov all ranked outside the top-100.

Borges may have made the Bastad final in a more convincing way but it is safe to say that the edge is still on Nadal's side.