Mardy Fish has entered the ongoing debate about who reigns supreme on clay courts, Rafael Nadal or Bjorn Borg, following Nadal’s first-round victory at the Nordea Open. The Spanish tennis legend defeated Leo Borg, son of the iconic Bjorn Borg, with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round of the singles draw.
Nadal chose to skip Wimbledon 2024 to focus on preparing for the Paris Olympics, which will be held on the clay courts of Roland Garros. He began his Olympic lead-up strongly at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, winning both his first-round singles and doubles matches.
Nadal’s win over Leo Borg rekindled the debate over whether he or Bjorn Borg is the superior clay-court player, with many humorously siding with Nadal.
Both Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg are considered among the greatest clay-court players in tennis history. Borg won six French Open titles during his illustrious career, while Nadal has a record 14 Major titles on clay, fueling a long-standing debate among tennis enthusiasts.
Former American professional player Mardy Fish added his voice to the conversation, supporting the 22-time Major champion. Fish humorously suggested on X (formerly Twitter) that Nadal’s victory over Leo Borg should put the argument to rest.
“Welp, that settles it,” Fish wrote.
After his win against Leo Borg, Nadal was asked in an on-court interview if he had given Bjorn Borg any tips to help his son make the match more competitive. Nadal jokingly admitted that he had, noting that the 11-time Major champion was his captain at the Laver Cup.
“That’s right, because he’s my captain. I haven’t been playing a lot of tennis the last few months, so I need victories for the confidence now. So, if he’s a good captain today, it was for me,” Nadal quipped.
Following his first-round win at the Nordea Open, the 38-year-old Nadal is set to face Britain’s Cameron Norrie next. Norrie advanced by defeating Jozef Kovalik 7-6(4), 6-4 in the first round. Nadal and Norrie have met five times before, with Nadal winning four of those encounters. Norrie’s sole victory came during their most recent match at the United Cup last year.
Nadal is currently focused on his Olympic preparations and will team up with compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles tournament at the marquee event. This could be Nadal’s last appearance at the Olympics, where he aims to win his third gold medal, having previously triumphed in Beijing in 2008 and Rio in 2016.
As Nadal continues to build his legacy, the debate over clay court supremacy between him and Bjorn Borg remains a testament to their remarkable achievements and lasting impact on the sport.
