Nadal Makes Comeback to Secure First Final Since 2022 at Nordea Open

Bastad, Sweden: Rafael Nadal of Spain staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday afternoon at the Nordea Open, marking his first tour-level final appearance since winning the 2022 Roland Garros.

Nadal’s victory came after a grueling four-hour quarterfinal match against Mariano Navone on Friday. Initially struggling to find his rhythm in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Ajdukovic, Nadal managed to elevate his game in the second set, overturning an early break. He broke Ajdukovic’s serve five times in the second and third sets, clinching a hard-fought two-hour and 13-minute victory in the semi-finals.

Much like his match against Navone, Nadal secured the win despite relinquishing a double-break advantage in the final set. Ajdukovic rallied from 0-3 to level at 3-3, but Nadal quickly broke back and held serve to seal the victory.

Despite a slow start, Nadal’s performance was more consistent than in his previous match. He was particularly effective on return, converting all six break points he faced against Ajdukovic, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

With an 11-8 record for the season, Nadal is now set to face seventh seed Nuno Borges in the final. Borges advanced to his first ATP Tour final by defeating Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-4. The 38-year-old Nadal is riding a nine-match winning streak in Bastad, having last won the title in 2005.

Ajdukovic, despite the defeat, can take pride in a remarkable week in Bastad. He achieved victories over Luca Van Assche, Pavel Kotov, and Thiago Monteiro to reach his first ATP Tour semi-final. The 23-year-old’s performance has propelled him up 20 places to No. 110 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, setting him up to reach a new career-high in the upcoming PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.