“It's an honor to face the son of one of the greatest legends of our sport.”

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There was a desire to see Rafa Nadal in action, even if it was in an ATP 250 tournament and against an opponent who is currently outside the top 400 in the ranking. However, that opponent was not just anyone; it was Leo Borg, which gains even more significance considering they played in Bastad. A curious match that the Spaniard resolved in 84 minutes, where he was still lacking competitive rhythm.

After the match ended, the entire crowd stood up to welcome the man who left here with the champion's title the last time he participated in the event. Back in 2005, at 19 years old and just crowned champion of his first Roland Garros, it was the third time Nadal played in Bastad, so he made the saying true by defeating Tomas Berdych in the final to claim his first conquest on Swedish soil. Obviously, there was a nod to that memory in the post-match interview.

Back in Bastad since 2005

“I feel good, I'm defending the title (laughs). Seriously now, I feel very well, although the weather conditions are always tricky. But I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to play here on the center court and avoid the rain today, so I leave happy. For me, it's an honor to play against the son of one of the greatest legends in the history of our sport.”

A very special opponent

“I think he played well; he has a great future ahead of him, so I can only wish him the best. Björn is my captain in the Laver Cup, so I asked him for advice on the phone to play this match, and I needed it because I haven't been able to play any matches in the last two months. I need victories to gain confidence, so if he's a good captain, he had to be on my side today (laughs).”

The warmth of the crowd

“The sensations have been great, they always are when competing in a packed stadium like this. It means a lot to me to feel the warmth of the people, even during training days, which they've been doing here all these days. It's true that in the toughest moments, you can rely on the strength of your team, but also feeling that support from the fans is vital to compete at maximum energy. From here, I take the opportunity to thank everyone, the Spaniards who traveled here and also the Swedish audience whom I hadn't seen in a long time.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, “Es un honor enfrentarme al hijo de una de las mayores leyendas de nuestro deporte”