Swedish Open: Borges beats Nadal to win first ATP tour title

World number 51 Nuno Borges triumphed over Rafael Nadal with a 6-3, 6-2 victory to win the Swedish Open in Bastad to secure his first ATP Tour title.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, faced a resounding defeat in his first final since 2022. Borges displayed a rock-solid performance, breaking Nadal’s serve five times throughout the match.

The victory was sealed with an ace, prompting an emotional celebration from Borges, who fell to his knees and buried his hands in his face.

“I don’t know what to say,” Borges reflected afterwards. “I have been wishing for this moment for a while already. It’s crazy, tennis doesn’t happen when you expect it sometimes.”

Nadal, who has been recovering from hip and abdominal injuries over the past 18 months, participated in this clay-court event to prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games at Roland Garros. The 38-year-old Spaniard opted out of Wimbledon to avoid the risk of injury from switching surfaces.

Borges acknowledged the significance of his victory against Nadal.

“I know we all wanted Rafa to win and part of me wished that too. But something even bigger inside of me really pushed through today, through the emotions, through all the ups and downs. It wasn’t even about playing my best tennis today. It was about coming up in the big moments where I won it and I couldn’t have played better. Just really happy overall.”