Rafael Nadal “willing to suffer on the pitch” to succeed on the tour in his potential farewell season
Rafa is into his first final of the season and will take on Portugal's Nuno Borges.
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Rafael Nadal (via Imago)
Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal might be 38 years of age but the fighting spirit is the same as he was 22. Despite having 22 Grand Slam titles in his kitty, Nadal is fighting for more and is “willing to suffer on the pitch” to achieve more success on the tour. Although his body is now allowing him to compete at the level he could a few years back, Nadal is pushing himself every day.
The final qualification at the Nordea Open testify the hard work the 38-year-old is putting in. Nadal beat Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic in three sets to make it to his first tour-level final in two years. The Spaniard won the match despite losing the opening set.
After the win, Nadal was delighted that his hard work was paying off and this has even pushed him further in the fighting spirit. The 14-time French Open champion is now ready to suffer to succeed. He has realized that his level has improved and is now optimistic about his chances, going into the final.
I'm playing much better than two months ago, but I have to continue to improve. I have to accept every challenge that comes my way and be willing to suffer on the pitch to continue to give myself opportunities to succeed.Rafael Nadal said after his final’s qualification at Nordea Open.
Nadal will face Nuno Borges in the final of the ATP 250 tournament. This will be the first meeting between the two players on the tour.
Rafael Nadal is “fighting”
Rafael Nadal has started to show glimpses of his old self where he would not give up no matter the situation. The Spaniard is known for his resilience and persistence and it has started to yield results again. Nadal won four matches on his way to the final.
While the first two games were won in straight sets, the Spaniard had to grind it out in the third and fourth match. Especially in the third where he was pitted against Mariano Navone, Nadal fought for four hours before eventually clinching the match (2)6-7, 7-5, 7-5. He then talked about the importance of such matches and claimed to do well in the final.
A lot of things happened, but still in this process of recovering, a lot of things I lost, because I had a very important hip surgery almost one year ago. So things were not going that easy, but I am fighting. I am fighting during the whole tournament to be where I am today, and I think matches like yesterday’s, like today’s, help to improve a lot of things on court. I am happy with that, and let’s see if I am able to play a little bit better tomorrow.Rafael Nadal said after his win in semi-final
Notably, Nadal has a win/loss record of 11-5 in the 2024 season so far. Although he has not played a final this year, King of Clay is still the favorite to win the match against Borges, considering his record on his favorite surface.
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Ritesh Pathak
(2150 Articles Published)