BASTAD, Sweden — Rafael Nadal returned to the clay courts in Bastad for the primary time in 19 years by teaming up with Casper Ruud to win a first-round doubles match on the Nordea Open on Monday.
Nadal received the singles title in southern Sweden as a 19-year-old in 2005 and that is his first time again since then as he prepares for the Olympic match on clay at Roland Garros in Paris.
Nadal and Ruud received towards second-seeded Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Reyes-Varela 6-1, 6-4 in entrance of a packed crowd that got here to see the 38-year-old Spaniard play his first tour match since Could when he misplaced within the first spherical of the French Open to Alexander Zverev.
He skipped Wimbledon as he didn’t need to change floor to grass after which again to clay and danger harm. He has been coping with hip and stomach accidents over the previous 1 1/2 years.
Nadal is ready to play Leo Borg, the son of Swedish nice Bjorn Borg, within the first spherical of the Bastad singles match on Tuesday.
