Rafael Nadal will lock horns with Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg’s son, Leo Borg, in his return to the court. The 2024 Nordea Open in Bastad will feature their clash. The ATP 250 event will notably mark the Spaniard’s first tournament after he suffered a first-round defeat to Alexander Zverev at the French Open. Moreover, he skipped the season’s grass-court swing to prioritize his performance for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

The world has longed for the Mallorcan to return to action and as fate would have it, Nadal will now clash with the son of the 11-time Grand Slam champion Bjorn Borg. The 21-year-old mainly competed in the ITF circuit and peaked at No. 12 in the Junior World ranking. He started his nascent journey on the ATP Tour in 2020. Currently ranked 467, with his best ranking being 334 as of November last year, Leo has produced some promising results in the sport.

This year, the Swedish national triumphed at an ITF event in Jamaica. Despite immense media pressure being Bjorn’s son, the young pro has managed to compete at a good level on both circuits. His maiden ATP victory came last year in Bastad where he defeated compatriot Elias Ymer in the event’s first-round.

In 2022, Leo managed to reach his first ITF Tour final and would go on to win his first ITF title in the Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in October. As a result, his ranking would jump to 507, making the biggest jump in rankings in professional tennis, rising over 1500 spots.

Leo’s father, Bjorn, is regarded as one of the best tennis players. Notably, the Swede was the first man in the Open Era to pocket 11 Grand Slam titles to his name. The 68-year-old consecutively won five Wimbledon crowns. He also bagged six titles at his favored hunting ground, Roland Garros, before retiring in 1993 (for the second time).

Despite this father accumulating such a fantastic record, Bjorn isn’t Leo’s idol. While it is certain that the tennis icon played a drastic role in shaping his son’s tennis career, Leo has idolized Nadal since his childhood!

“He was always my idol” Leo Borg on following Rafael Nadal’s footsteps

In 2021, Leo Borg, son of former World No. 1 Bjorn, stated that Nadal was his childhood idol. While talking to the Spanish daily ‘Marca‘, the Swedish national opened up about crossing paths with the 22-time Grand Slam champion at the Laver Cup.

Furthermore, the 21-year-old also mentioned training at the Spaniard’s academy, the Rafa Nadal Academy, from time to time. It is worth noting that his father, Bjorn, previously served as the captain of the European team in the annual exhibition event. “I met Nadal at the Laver Cup because my father is the captain of the European team. He was always my idol since I was little. I go to Mallorca from time to time.”

It is yet to be witnessed whether Leo can measure up to his idol and produce head-turning results. His upcoming clash with Nadal will speak volumes about his potential to survive on the ATP Tour!