Not even Rafael Nadal himself could stop Mississippi State alumnus Nuno Borges from securing his first ATP Tour title.
On Sunday, the seventh-seeded Borges defeated Nadal 6-3, 6-2 in the Swedish Open final to find his first victory on the tour. It was Nadal’s first final appearance since 2022 as the 22-time Grand Slam champion has wavered in recent years due to injury. Borges, born in Portugal before moving to the U.S. for college, was playing in his first final as a professional.
FIRST TITLE FEELS 🤩
The moment @nunoborges97 defeated Nadal for his first ATP title!#NordeaOpen pic.twitter.com/19229wDur1
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 21, 2024
After the match, the 22-year-old Borges said it was bittersweet to beat the 38-year-old Nadal.
“It’s crazy. In tennis, it doesn’t happen when you expect it sometimes,” Borges said, per the Associated Press. “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.”
Both Borges and Nadal will now turn their attention to the 2024 Olympics, which begin this Friday in Paris. Borges, who suited up for the Bulldogs from 2015-19, will begin his tenure as an expected mainstay for Team Portugal while Nadal may be playing in his fourth and final Olympic Games for Team Spain.
