Nadal & Ruud Record Smashing Doubles Win Over Second Seeds At Bastad Open
Rafael Nadal returned to the tennis courts with a doubles win at the 2024 Bastad Open, partnering with Casper Ruud to secure an easy victory in the first round. The last time Nadal competed was at Roland Garros, where he was defeated by Alexander Zverev in the opening round. His comeback took place at the…
Rafael Nadal returned to the tennis courts with a doubles win at the 2024 Bastad Open, partnering with Casper Ruud to secure an easy victory in the first round.
The last time Nadal competed was at Roland Garros, where he was defeated by Alexander Zverev in the opening round. His comeback took place at the ATP 250 tournament in Bastad, where he chose to play doubles instead of singles.
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Nadal teamed up with Ruud to regain his form and practice for the upcoming Paris Olympics, where he will partner with Carlos Alcaraz, the recent Wimbledon champion. Although he hoped Alcaraz could join him in Bastad, the 21-year-old was unavailable. Ruud stepped in, and the pair showed strong synergy, winning their match in straight sets.
The first set lasted only 30 minutes, with Nadal and Ruud dominating their opponents, second-seeded Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, 6-1. Their superior play in critical moments was decisive in the doubles format.
The second set saw an early break for the Norwegian-Spanish duo, but they soon lost it, and the match was briefly halted by rain. Upon resuming, Nadal and Ruud regained the lead with a break for 4-3. Rain interrupted again as they prepared to serve for the match at 5-4. After the quick stoppage, they finished the set 6-4, completing their victory. Post-match, the duo were in good spirits, with Ruud joking about the interruptions.
“He’s getting old. So I’m not sure how his body feels having to start and stop all the time,” Ruud quipped.
Nadal, who has a history in Bastad, winning the tournament in 2005 and reaching the quarter-finals in 2003 and 2004, was also in high spirits, reminiscing about his past achievements.
“It’s a pleasure playing with a good friend and amazing player like Casper here. It was a good match. We played quite well for the first time playing together. Happy to be back here after almost 20 years,” Nadal said.
“It’s a beautiful thing for me. I have great memories from this place from 2003, 2004, and 2005. I’m enjoying this week and hopefully I’ll keep going,” he added.
