Nuno Borges defeated former world number one Rafael Nadal in straight sets to claim the Nordea Open title in Sweden on Sunday. #NadalNordeaOpen
Nadal has not won a title since his 2022 French Open victory due to injuries, which sidelined him for most of 2023.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion showed patience in his comeback and looked set to win in Bastad. After marathon three-set wins over Mariano Navone and Duje Ajdukovic, he reached the final. However, Borges won decisively with a 6-3, 6-2 score.
Breaks were exchanged early on between Nadal and Borges, who was competing in his first-ever ATP Tour final.
After Borges held a lengthy first service game, he broke Nadal, leading to five consecutive breaks.
Eventually, the Portuguese player halted the run to move 5-2 up and took the opener before Nadal was forced to dig deep at the start of the second set. #NadalNordeaOpen
Nadal saved a break point during a 14-minute opening game. However, Borges took the lead at 3-2. Borges clinched victory with an ace on his first match point, denying Nadal a long-awaited title after a one-hour-and-28-minute battle.
It has still been a productive week for Nadal. He won four matches in a row for the first time since 2022. Despite losing at the Nadal Nordea Open, his physical condition was tested ahead of the Olympic Games. He will represent Spain at Roland Garros later this month.
