Rafael Nadal has enjoyed a miraculous return to the ATP tour again this week, and today will face a chance to claim silverware today in Sweden in the singles draw.
It is a run that has shocked most, given few expected him to thrive so quickly, but to discount his quality is to bet against one of the greatest of all time.
This superhuman feat comes at the perfect time, given the Olympics starts soon, but now there is a fresh incentive to take that final step and win the whole thing.
However, in doing so, he has also had to cut short one of the more heartwarming partnerships on tour.
Rafael Nadal withdraws from Swedish Open doubles
Speaking at his press conference after reaching the Swedish Open final, his first on the ATP tour since 2022, Nadal was open in his assessment of the week he had enjoyed.
After all, what was expected to just be routine preparation for the Olympics has now turned into a full-blown run for the title, where he is now surely the favourite to win.
However, the sacrifice for reaching such a stage is clear, having to drop out of the doubles of the Swedish Open with Casper Ruud.
Speaking on that, Rafael Nadal claimed: ‘I mean we are professionals. We are singles players. We know how these things work. Casper is first of all a great guy, we have a very good relationship with each other and he received it the same way I would receive it, when you have a player playing the final tomorrow after having a big battle.
‘If Casper was in my position, I would be the person to say to Casper ‘Don’t play doubles, you have to play singles tomorrow and recover well. You are playing for a title.’ Even with Casper being 23 years old, I would make that decision because it’s the right thing to do. With 38 you can imagine!’
Rafael Nadal has enjoyed the perfect Olympics preparation
If his goal for this week was to convince himself that he remains at the requisite level to compete for trophies, then consider it a raging success.
After all, there is every chance that he could bypass Nuno Borges today with ease, and in doing so claim a first ATP title in years.
This trophy drought has not been born of a lack of quality though, but instead his body’s inability to allow him to consistently perform.
But, having done everything right, he now seems in the perfect physical state to compete at 38 years old.
A truly unbelievable athlete, the Olympics, both singles and doubles, could both be in Nadal’s sights this summer.
Then, as he suggested, Nadal could play the US Open to cap things off.
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