Rafa is gearing up for the Paris Olympics 2024
In a heartbreaking final of the Swedish Open, Rafael Nadal lost against Portugal's Nuno Borges. This was Nadal's first final appearance in two years when he went down 6-3, 6-2 at the clay court Bastad Open. Borges made an early impact by breaking Nadal's serve to 3-1. However, the Spaniard tried to save two break points. Nadal attempted to break Borges's serve, but neither could win in the first set. Borges then pushed on to 0–40 in the following service game.
Nuno Borges becomes only the fifth man to defeat #RafaelNadal in a clay-court final, prevailing 6-3, 6-2 in Bastad to win his first ATP title at the age of 27.
— LoveGameTennis 🎾 (@LoveGame_Tennis) July 21, 2024
“I know we all wanted Rafa to win, and a part of me wished that too,” says Borges.#NordeaOpen pic.twitter.com/3swuCTj9Bd
He converted his second break point with a drop shot by keeping his cool to serve out the set as Nadal had issues to make his first serve. Nadal showed glimpses of his old self with a decisive forehand winner in the second set, but Borges took over. He broke Nadal at 2-2 for his fourth break overall and won the next three games after that. Borges finished with an ace to wrap up his first-ever career title over the former world number one, whom he met for the first time. "Today wasn't my best day, but all the credit to Nuno. He played very well, and it was so difficult for me, so well done," the Spaniard said after the match.
There have been times when Rafa was defeated by weaker opponents, and the tennis fans were shaken. In this article, we will recall when Rafa faced defeats from weaker opponents.
In the 2009 French Open, Rafa lost the match against Sweden's Robin Soderling. Rafa then had an impeccable record of winning his previous matches at Roland Garros and 13 French Open titles. Then, 24-year-old Soderling made his first Grand Slam fourth-round appearance. Soderling defeated Nadal 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(2). The victory was initially seen as a fluke, but Soderling proved himself by advancing into the final.
Nadal came up against one of the worst performances of his career at the hands of Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro during the US Open. Nadal fought through to the semi-finals of yet another Grand Slam despite picking up an abdominal injury. However, world No. 6 del Potro dazzled in a one-way contest on Flushing Meadows courts. He dominated Nadal, winning 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, probably as huge a victory as any he would have had in his career.
The moment of glory for Steve Darcis, world 135, and conqueror of Rafael Nadal at #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/K9pkWu7cIW
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 24, 2013
Once again, Nadal was challenged unexpectedly during his first competitive grass match. He was defeated by world number 135, Steve Darcis. That was Nadal's first-ever loss at the first round of a Grand Slam by 7-6, 7-6, 6-4. The shift from clay to grass was disturbed Nadal. Darcis took advantage of this situation and took the first set in a tiebreak. In the second round, Nadal had saved four set points but was unlucky to prevent Darcis as he claimed his set of fifth. He remained calm, and all was over when he defeated Rafa in the final round.
Day 4 at the All-England Club in 2012 ended in one of the most jaw-dropping upsets ever seen on a tennis court. Ranked at No. 100 in the world, Lukas Rosol played the game of his life to upset Nadal, leaving the world of tennis and sports overall in a state of shock. As darkness fell, officials ordered the roof to be closed, breaking the game for 45 minutes. This took Nadal out of his flow. Rosol pounced at this opportunity, taking the last set and the match 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. With this victory, he sent Nadal home and secured himself a place in the history books beside one of the biggest upsets at Wimbledon.
