Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud made it to the 2024 Bastad Open semi-final in doubles, and they even earned a nickname, which the Spaniard found hilarious.
A few weeks ago, the 38-year-old tried to convince Carlos Alcaraz to play a preparation event ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics so they could get used to one another on the doubles court.
They never played together in doubles, but with the upcoming Olympics, there were plenty of reasons to do so. According to reports, Nadal was very eager to team up, but Alcaraz was busy in the previous weeks, playing in the 2024 Wimbledon Championships final, so Nadal had to think of something else.
His idea was to play with Ruud in Bastad to still get some doubles practice before the Olympic event, and it's proving to be a pretty good decision.
The duo know each other very well as Ruud was part of the Spaniard's Academy and accompanied him during a South American Tour in 2022. The duo has won both of their doubles matches so far, and they are through to the semi-final, which earned them the nickname 'Ruudal'.
Nadal was told by the interviewer at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, and he initially didn't understand, but once he got it, he found it very funny.
"Oh, Ruudal. Yeah I mean, I have Fedal and now Ruudal, so."
Both of them had big smiles during the post-match interview, and it was likely a nice memory for both. Nadal also remembered his good friend and rival, Roger Federer, with whom he previously shared another nickname, 'Fedal', as many often refer to their rivalry.
In Bastad, Nadal is also in the singles draw after winning his first match, but that isn't the case for the young Norwegian. He lost to Thiago Monteiro in his first match in a stunning upset.
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