BASTAD, Sweden — Rafael Nadal made a strong return to singles competition with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Leo Borg, the 21-year-old son of Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg, in the first round of the Nordea Open in Bastad.
“It has been a huge honor for me to play against the son of one of the biggest legends in the history of our sport,” Nadal said of his young opponent. “I think he played quite well, he has a future ahead of him, so I wish him all the very best.”
Nadal, who claimed the singles title in southern Sweden as a 19-year-old in 2005, is back for the first time since then as he prepares for the Olympic tournament on clay at Roland Garros in Paris.
This was Nadal’s first singles match since his first-round loss to Alexander Zverev at the French Open. He recently teamed up with Casper Ruud to win a first-round doubles match.
The 38-year-old Nadal skipped Wimbledon to avoid switching from grass to clay and risking injury. He has been managing hip and abdominal injuries over the past year and a half.
Nadal’s next opponent will be Britain’s No. 2, Cameron Norrie.
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