Despite the outcome going against him, Nuno Borges said that he was rooting for Rafael Nadal to win the Swedish Open. Nadal was denied his first ATP title since 2022 as Borges won in straight sets with a dominant performance. The Spaniard appeared worn down after a demanding week of tennis and was unable to perform at his best.
Borges won the first set with two early breaks and then forced another crucial break in the second set as he easily won.
After winning the trophy, an emotional Borges confessed that part of him wanted Nadal to win despite being thrilled with the overpowering manner of his victory.
Borges expressed his thoughts in the post-match press conference and said: “I don’t know what to say. I think I have been wishing for this moment for a while already. Tennis doesn’t happen when you expect it. I know we all wanted Rafa to win. A part of me wishes that too. But something bigger inside me pushed through. It wasn’t about playing my best today, it was about coming up in the big moments. I couldn’t have played better. I’m really emotional.”
After losing at the last hurdle, Nadal showed his class by congratulating his opponent. Nadal appreciated his opponent and said: “You played great all week, you deserve it more than anyone else. Enjoy your moment. It’s a special moment winning a title. I wish you all the very best for the rest of the season. I have been here for the whole week and a half enjoying this amazing place. I really had fun on the court. I played some long and good matches. Today wasn’t my best day, but all credit to Nuno. He played very, very well and it was difficult for me, so well done.”
Nuno Borges after beating Rafa Nadal to win first career title in Bastad:
“I don’t know what to say. I think I was wishing for this moment for a while already. Tennis doesn’t happen when you expect it. I know we all wanted Rafa to win. A part of me wishes that too. But something… pic.twitter.com/z4agSArkWo
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 21, 2024
Rafael Nadal in 2024
Currently the world no.261, Nadal played his last match on the 21st of July when he lost to world no.51 Nuno Borges 6-3 6-2 in the final in Bastad (draw).
Presently, during this year Rafael has an overall 11-6 win-loss record. Rafael Nadal’s latest run in Bastad was the best achievement of his season.
Nuno Borges in 2024
LLLLWWWLLW Now ranked no.51, Borges played his last match on the 21st of July when he defeated world no.261 Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-2 in the final in Bastad to win his 1st career title.
During this season Nuno has an overall 25-18 win-loss record. Nuno conquered 2 titles in 2024 in the Phoenix Challenger and Bastad.
Nuno Borges will square off with the world no.655 Alex Rybakov in the semifinal. The head to head is 2-0 for Borges.
Borges clinched 2 titles in 2024 in the Phoenix Challenger and Bastad.
Rafael Nadal and Nuno Borges faced off only once. Their current head to head is 1-0 for Borges. When they played, Nuno Borges won 6-3 6-2 in the final in Bastad (Nordea Open) on the 21st of July 2024.
Here the video highlights.
