Rafael Nadal battled through a grueling three-hour-and-58-minute match to reach his first semi-final of the year at the Swedish Open, overcoming Argentina’s Mariano Navone. The 38-year-old Spaniard defeated the fourth seed 6-7 (2-7), 7-5, 7-5, setting up a semi-final clash with Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic.
Nadal’s journey to the semi-finals was marked by intense competition. Despite dropping the first set in a tie-break, he broke Navone twice in the second set to take a 3-0 lead, only to lose four games in a row as his performance dipped. However, Nadal regained his form, breaking Navone again to win the second set 7-5 and eventually closed out the match in the third set after failing to serve for it at his first opportunity.
“First of all, I’m looking forward to the afternoon and trying to recover this body,” Nadal said after the match. “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.”
In addition to his singles performance, Nadal is also competing in the doubles semi-finals with partner Casper Ruud, where they will face Brazil’s Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos. This doubles partnership serves as preparation for Nadal’s collaboration with Carlos Alcaraz at the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
Nadal’s victory over Navone and his participation in both singles and doubles highlight his enduring skill and determination, even as he continues to compete at the highest level of the sport at 38 years old.
