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Rafael Nadal reaches first singles final since 2022 as prep continues for Paris Olympics

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Rafael Nadal reaches first singles final since 2022 as prep continues for Paris Olympics

Rafael Nadal will play in his first singles final since the 2022 French Open when he takes the court at the Nordea Open on Sunday. (Photo by ADAM IHSE/TT/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal will play for his first singles title on Sunday in two years after advancing past Croatia’s Duje Ajduković in the semifinals of the Nordea Open.

The 38-year-old Nadal beat Ajduković 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday and will now look to claim his first singles championship since winning the 2022 French Open. He will face Portugal’s Nuno Borges or Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina in the final as he seeks his 93rd career singles title.

“Always, it’s a great feeling to be back in a final. I won four matches in a row, something I wasn’t able to make happen since two years ago,” Nadal said afterward.

“In this process of recovering a lot of things I lost … things have not been going that easy, but I’m fighting. I was fighting during the whole tournament to be where I am today, and I think matches like yesterday, like today, help to improve a lot of things on court. I’m happy with that.”

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion and 2005 winner of the Nordea Open, decided to skip Wimbledon this year in order to focus on clay court training ahead of next week’s Paris Olympics. He will be part of the singles competition at Roland Garros and will also partner with Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in doubles for Spain.

Later on Saturday Nadal will be part of the doubles semifinal with Casper Rudd, whom he defeated in that French Open final two years ago.

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