Rafael Nadal made his return to singles action with a win over Bjorn Borg’s son Leo at the Swedish Open, broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The combination of the names of the two best men’s clay-court players of the Open Era has created excitement in the tennis world, but it seems highly unlikely that the 21-year-old Leo will follow in his father’s footsteps in the career path.
Leo, ranked 461st in the world, entered the tournament in Bastado as a wildcard and fought well against some strong opponents but lost 6-3, 6-4.
“I feel great,” Nadal said in an on-court interview.
“For me, it’s a huge honor to play against the son of one of the greatest legends in the history of our sport.”
“I thought he played very well. He’s got a future. So I wish him all the best.”
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Bjorn Borg’s son Leo produced a magical moment when he lobbed Rafael Nadal in the first round of the Swedish Open.
Nadal was playing his first singles match since losing to Alexander Zverev in the opening round of the French Open in May.
The 38-year-old decided to remain on clay rather than switch to grass and risk further injury, and is continuing to train with the aim of being in top shape for the Paris Olympics later this month.
Nadal will next face a tougher test when he faces Britain’s No. 2 Cameron Norrie, who beat Josef Kovarik in the first round on Monday.
Nadal and Norrie will compete live on Sky Sports Tennis on Thursday.
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Nadal will next face Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who beat Josef Kovarik in straight sets to reach the second round of the Swedish Open.
What will be broadcast on Sky Sports Tennis?
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Find out all the ways you can watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA Tour
You can watch some of tennis’ biggest stars in action ahead of the US Open, the final Grand Slam of 2024. Live on Sky Sports They will compete throughout the hard court season.
- Hamburg Open (ATP 500) July 15-21
- Newport Hall of Fame Open (ATP 250) July 15-21
- Swiss Open (ATP 250) July 15-21
- Bastad Open (ATP 250) July 15-21
- Palermo Women’s Open (WTA 250) July 15-21
- Hungarian Grand Prix (WTA 250) July 15-21
- Prague Open (WTA 250) July 21-26
- Iasi Open (WTA 250) July 21-26
- Umag Open (ATP 250) July 21-26
You can watch the WTA Tour and ATP Tour throughout 2024 on Sky Sports Tennis. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month membership. There’s no contract and you can cancel anytime.
