Though he may be something of a lion in winter, 38-year-old tennis superstar Rafael Nadal is roaring once again, to the surprise of many late into the 2024 season.
On Friday, at the Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden, Nadal upset No. 4 seed Mariano Navone in a four-hour, 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5 comeback quarterfinal match. The 6-foot-1 southpaw ground out a victory that included three grueling sets, all of which ran over an hour. He’s now heading to his first ATP Tour semifinal round since Wimbledon in 2022. During that tournament, Nadal had been playing through a torn abdominal muscle, which ultimately compelled him to withdraw after beating Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinal round. He has no such health restrictions this time.
This surprise victory arrives on the heels of another, more commanding win over a top-5-seeded opponent at the tournament. On Thursday, Nadal bested No. 5-seeded Cameron Norrie in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Read More: Rafael Nadal Upsets Top Seed, Advances to Nordea Open Quarterfinals
“I lost for some moments my concentration, but I was able to hold physically until the end,” Nadal reflected during his postgame interview on the court, per ATPTour.com. “That is so important for me. Let’s see how I am tomorrow, but today I am alive and in the semi-finals, so that’s very important.”
Clive Mason/Getty Images
Nadal is a former longtime world No. 1, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the men’s game. He has won 22 Grand Slam titles (a record at the time he achieved that feat), including at least two of each major. His 14 French Open titles is an all-time record, and helped earn him the apt nickname “King of Clay,” a reference to his best court surface. After missing most of the 2023 season with a hip injury, Nadal fell out of the world top 10 rankings for the first time in 18 years, a new record.
Upon returning to action early in 2024, Nadal struggled with a muscle injury, which compelled him to withdraw from the Australian Open. He had an uncharacteristically brisk run in this year’s French Open, before skipping all of the grass court season.
Now, that’s suddenly looking like a wise decision, as he has a real opportunity to return to a final.
During the third set of the quarterfinal match Friday, Nadal took what had looked like a commanding 5-2 lead, but Navone, ranked at No. 36 in the world, rallied back. Ultimately, Nadal did hold on to claim the final set and win the tournament.
On Saturday, at 4 a.m. PT/7 p.m. ET, Nadal will square off against 23-year-old Duje Ajduković, currently ranked an unintimidating No. 130 in the world.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.