Seventh-seeded Portuguese Nuno Borges clinched his first ATP Tour title by defeating tennis legend Rafael Nadal at the Nordea Open in Bastad on Sunday. Borges triumphed with a decisive 6-3, 6-2 victory, showcasing a remarkable performance against the 22-time Grand Slam winner. He broke Nadal’s serve five times to secure his maiden tour-level final win.
In a post-match interview, Borges described the moment as surreal. “I don’t know what to say. I think I was wishing for this moment for a while already. It’s crazy, in tennis it doesn’t happen when you expect it sometimes. I know we all wanted Rafa to win, a part of me wished that too, but something even bigger inside of me really pushed through today. Through all the emotions, through all the ups and downs,” Borges shared.
“It wasn’t about playing my best tennis, it was just coming up in the big moments where I wanted, and I couldn’t have played better. I’m just really happy overall. I really don’t know what to say, I’m very emotional,” he added.
Nadal, gracious in defeat, congratulated Borges on his victory. “Many congratulations to Nuno. You’ve been playing great during the whole week, so you deserve it more than anyone else here. Congratulations and enjoy your moment, it’s always special winning a title. I wish you all the very best for the rest of the season,” Nadal said.
Reflecting on his own performance, Nadal added, “I have been here for the week enjoying this amazing place. I really had fun on court, played some very long matches. Today wasn’t my best day, but all the credit to Nuno. He played very well and it was so difficult for me, so well done.”
Borges’ consistent play and composed demeanor in the final against Nadal, who struggled to find his form, led to a memorable victory for the 27-year-old Portuguese player.
