Rafael Nadal to play Leo Borg, son of Bjorn Borg, in Bastad’s Nordea Open first round

Rafael Nadal is set to make a bit more history in what may be his first season on tour when he faces Leo Borg in the first round of the latter’s home tournament at the Nordea Open.

The Swedish wild card is the 21-year-old son of none other than Bjorn Borg, an 11-time Grand Slam champion and six-time Roland Garros winner who held the men’s record for most titles won in Paris until 2012, when Nadal himself broke the record.

The “King of Clay” went on to win a total of 14 titles on the terre battue, most recently in 2022 when he captured the first half of a Calendar Year Grand Slam with back-to-back victories at the Australian and French Open.

Nadal and Borg (the younger) enjoyed a practice session in Båstad before the Nordea Open draw was revealed on Saturday (see above).

The former world No. 1 is set to play his first match since the first round of this year’s Roland Garros, where he lost to eventual finalist Alexander Zverev.

Looking to prioritize the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, Nadal opted to sit out the grass-court season, including the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, to continue playing on clay where he will compete in singles and doubles with reigning Roland Garros champ Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal also entered the Båstad men’s doubles draw alongside two-time Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud.

Nadal and Borg will face off in the first round of the Nordea Open next week.