Rafael Nadal Returns to Bastad With Doubles Win Alongside Casper Ruud

Rafael Nadal won a match at the Nordea Open here after a gap of 19 years, winning a men’s doubles match at the event on Monday. The Spaniard teamed up with Casper Ruud to notch a 6-1, 6-4 win over second seeds Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Reyes-Varela on Monday afternoon at the Nordea Open. Competing at the ATP 250 for the first time since he lifted the singles title as a 19-year-old in 2005, Nadal immediately looked at home on the Swedish clay.

With both the Spaniard and Ruud striking their groundstrokes powerfully throughout, the wild card pairing powered to a 79-minute win that was twice interrupted by passing rain showers.

It converted four of the 10 break points it earned in the process, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The 22-time major champion Nadal and the No. 9 in the ATP Rankings Ruud will take on Mariano Navone and Cameron Norrie or Theo Arribage and Roman Safiullin in the second round.