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