Rafael Nadal’s dream run at the Bastad Open came to an anticlimatic end as he was beaten 6-3, 6-2 in the final on Sunday, July 21 by Nuno Borges. Nadal, who had won the quarterfinal and semifinal with incredible comebacks, was unable to muster one on Sunday as Borges was able to outclass him in the summit clash.
Nadal had played a 4-hour thriller with Mariano Navone in the quarters before being pushed all the way by Duje Ajdukovic on his way to the final. He would also decide to pull out of the doubles semifinals with Casper Ruud in a bid to recover and be ready for the final. However, Sunday ended up not being his day.
Borges delivered an impressive performance in his first tour-level final, breaking 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal’s serve five times to secure the victory.
In his maiden clash with Nadal, Borges was the more consistent player throughout the match. Unlike his earlier three-set battles against Mariano Navone and Duje Ajdukovic, Nadal couldn’t elevate his game to overcome Borges. The 27-year-old Borges showed remarkable composure as he served out his win against the former World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
What did Borges say after the win?
Borges was emotional after the win and said he had been wishing for such a moment for a long time. The Portuguese star said a part of him also wanted Nadal to win the match.
“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 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,” said Borges.
Despite the defeat in the championship match, Nadal had a positive week in Bastad, reaching his first tour-level final since the 2022 Roland Garros. The 38-year-old Spaniard, now with an 11-6 record for the year, will shift his focus to preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
