New Delhi: Tennis legend Rafael Nadal bid a heartwarming farewell to the fans in Bastad after losing to Nuno Borges of Portugal in straight sets in the final match at the Swedish Open 2024 on Sunday. After the defeat, Nadal hinted at retirement at the end of the season saying that the Bastad crowd might not see him again in the tournament as a player. Nadal gave an emotional speech at the end of the game, showing gratitude towards the crowd who cheered for him throughout his career.
Nadal was on a dream run in the tournament, having won six games in six consecutive days to storm into the Bastad final but the run came to an an anti-climatic end as he was beaten 6-3, 6-2 in the final at the hands of Nuno Borges. The Spaniard was easily outclassed in the summit clash as Borges halted the former world no. 1’s comeback. Nadal registered sensational wins in the quarterfinal and the semifinal to head into the final.
The 38-year-old played a four-hour rallying thriller with Mariano Navone in the quarters before taking on Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic on his way to the final. He was also supposed to play in the doubles semifinals with Casper Ruud but had pulled out of the game in a bid to recover in time from exertion for the final. However, he couldn’t continue his indomitable run on Sunday.
It was Borges’ first tour-level final in which he delivered an impressive performance as he broke Nadal’s serve five times to secure the victory.
Nadal’s emotional speech
The 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal made a heartfelt speech after the loss, where he first talked about how the game went as he showed respect towards his opponent. He then thanked his family and the crew and hinted at his retirement thereafter.
“First of all congratulations to Nuno. You played great all week. You deserve it more than anyone else. Enjoy your moment. It’s a special moment winning a title. I wish you all the very best for the rest of the season,” Nadal said.
“I have been here during the whole week and a half enjoying this amazing place. I really had fun on court. I played some long and good matches. Today wasn’t my best day. But all credit to Nuno. He played very very well and it was difficult for me, so well done,” the veteran added.
Nadal dealt with injuries in the last few years which also saw him losing his rankings and fewer appearances at the Grand Slams. His muscle tear and ankle issues held him back to remain consistent.
“To my team and family.. I can’t thank you enough for everything. It hasn’t been easy moments the last few years. Even in the low moments, my team and family have been with me every single day, helping me in every way. Thank you so much everybody for being there all the time. I feel privileged to be able to play in front of an amazing crowd. Thank you for all the support the whole week,” the Spaniard said.
“You made me feel special on court and gave me a lot of energy in the tough moments. I don’t know if I’ll be back here playing. Probably not. But I enjoyed being back and playing here one more time, without a doubt,” Nadal concluded his speech.
Nadal had used the Bastad Open as a tune-up to the Paris Olympics where he will be playing at the Roland Garros and will partner with the rising star of the nation Carlos Alcaraz in doubles.
Rafael Nadal hinted at his retirement after going down against Portugal’s Nuno Borges in straight sets at the Nordea Open 2024 final in Bastad on Sunday. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
