Rafael Nadal 'not comfortable' ahead of Paris Olympics bid

Rafael Nadal ‘not comfortable’ ahead of Paris Olympics bid

/ 01:45 PM July 22, 2024

Rafael Nadal Paris Olympics

Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic during their men’s semi-final singles match of the ATP Nordea Open tennis tournament in Bastad, Sweden, on July 20, 2024. (Photo by Adam Ihse/TT / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT

Rafael Nadal will head to the Paris Olympics chasing a third gold medal but admitted his “level was so far from what it should be” after losing in the Bastad clay-court final on Sunday.

The 38-year-old Spanish great went down to a straight-sets defeat to Portuguese journeyman Nuno Borges in his first final since capturing a 14th French Open in 2022.

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“The level was so far from what it should be. Probably the energy too,” said Nadal.

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READ: Rafael Nadal defeated in first tour final in two years

“It has been a long week with long matches. Even if my body, I don’t have damage, that’s important — but mentally and physically, I am not used to playing four days in a row and playing long matches.”

Nadal was playing his first tournament since an opening round exit at the French Open in May.

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He skipped Wimbledon to focus on his clay-court bag of tricks ahead of the Olympics which are being played at Roland Garros, the site of 14 of his 22 Grand Slam triumphs.

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At the Games, Nadal will be looking to add to his singles gold from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and doubles victory at Rio in 2016.

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As well as singles, in Paris he will team up with French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.

READ: Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray could be bidding tennis adieu at Paris Olympics

“I played the final, that’s positive. I was able to play long matches without having an injury, that’s good,” added Nadal of his week in Sweden.

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The former world number one has played just six tournaments in 2024 due to injury while his ranking has slumped to 261.

“In some way I felt that I arrived here practicing much better than what I played on the tournament during the whole week. That’s something that I am not satisfied with,” he explained.

“I arrived here with the feeling that I was playing a good level and I was not able to show that during the whole week. That is something that I am not happy with.

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“Anyway it’s a final, so I can’t say it’s a bad result because it’s the first final since a long time ago. But I was not able to feel myself comfortable enough during the whole week to be satisfied with the week of tennis that I played.”

Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Paris Olympics 2024.

TAGS: Paris Olympics, Rafael Nadal

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