- Rafa Nadal lost 6-3, 6-2 in the Swedish Open final against Nuno Borges
- The Spaniard was playing his first title match since his triumph at the 2022 French Open.
Rafa Nadal suffered a setback in his preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics on Sunday when he was beaten 6-3 6-2 in the Swedish Open final by Portuguese seventh seed Nuno Borges.
The 38-year-old Spaniard was playing his first title match since his triumph at the 2022 French Open but saw his serve broken five times in the one-hour, 27-minute contest as Borges won his first tour final.
Making his first appearance at an ATP Tour 250 event since winning the singles as a 19-year-old in 2005, Nadal was preparing for his bid for another Olympic medal at the 2024 Paris Games.
“Big congratulations to Nuno. You’ve been playing really well all week so you deserve it more than anyone else here… It’s always special to win a title,” said the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
“I’ve been here all week enjoying this amazing place. I’ve had a great time on the pitch, I’ve played some really long matches. Today wasn’t my best day, but all the credit goes to Nuno. He played really well and it was really difficult for me, so well done.”
Rafa Nadal suffered a setback on Sunday in his preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics
The 38-year-old Spaniard fell 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Swedish Open to Nuno Borges
Nadal missed most of 2023 with a hip problem and his return earlier this year was hampered by a muscle tear, before minor physical issues hampered his preparation for the French Open, where he suffered a first-round exit.
The 14-time French Open winner skipped Wimbledon to prepare for the Olympic tennis tournament, which takes place at Roland-Garros from July 27 to August 4.
Nadal won an Olympic singles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games and a doubles gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
He will team up with four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz, 21, in the doubles at Paris 2024.