Rafael Nadal refuses to confirm his availability for the ATP Bastad 2024 semifinals

Rafael Nadal is in his first ATP semifinal since Wimbledon 2022.

Rafael Nadal refuses to confirm his availability for the ATP Bastad 2024 semifinals

Rafael Nadal (via Imago)

Former World No.1 Rafael Nadal has shown his bravery and passion on the tennis court once again on Friday. Many thought the 22-time Grand Slam winner might not have the drive to win tough matches now that his best years are behind him, but he proved them wrong in the Bastad quarterfinals.

Nadal took nearly four hours to beat Mariano Navone and move into the semi-finals of the ATP 250 Bastad 2024. He will face Duje Ajdukovic next, as long as he recovers well from this tough match. The Spaniard talked about this in the post-match press conference.

I will make decisions when I wake up tomorrow. Let's see how the body is. Even if I were young, I would have to do a lot of recovery. Based on how the body is tomorrow, I will make a decision. I don't know how I'll wake up, but I'm still alive.
Rafael Nadal said in his post-match press conference

The last time Nadal reached a semi-final, he had to pull out. This happened at Wimbledon 2022, where he was supposed to play Nick Kyrgios. The Australian advanced to his first Grand Slam final, where he would lose to Novak Djokovic.

With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games starting soon, Nadal might need to be careful. But it will be hard for him to stop competing in Bastad and miss the chance to win his 93rd ATP title.

Rafael Nadal edges Mariano Navone in a thrilling contest at Bastad

The ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal faced a tough challenge from Mariano Navone on Friday at the Nordea Open in Bastad. Using his mental strength, the Spaniard managed to win 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5 in a grueling three-hour 59 minutes quarter-final match on his favorite surface.

Rafael Nadal Bastad
Rafael Nadal Bastad (via Imago)

The match was intense and unpredictable, with three sets lasting over an hour each. In the first set, Nadal came back from being 1-4 down to force a tie-break, but Navone won it. The second set saw the 23-year-old erase a 0-3 deficit, but Nadal broke Navone’s serve in the 11th game to win the set.

In the third set, Navone took an early 2-0 lead by breaking Nadal’s serve. However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion fought back, winning five straight games. Navone leveled the score at 5-5, but Nadal broke his opponent’s serve again in the 11th game.

Nadal then held his serve to secure his 10th tour-level win of 2024. Despite struggling at times, the 38-year-old’s determination and skill led him to victory in this thrilling match.

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