Rafael Nadal lost his first final in two years on Sunday, falling 6-3, 6-2 to Portugal’s Nuno Borges at the Bastad Open.
Nadal, who had shown signs of a return to form, made an impressive run to the final just a week before the Olympic Games in Paris. However, Borges dominated the Spaniard, preventing him from celebrating his 64th clay-court title and first since Roland Garros 2022. Nadal struggled with his serve and groundstrokes, leading to his defeat.
“Many congratulations to Nuno,” Nadal said. “You’ve been playing great all week, so you deserve it more than anyone else here. Enjoy your moment; winning a title is always special.”
Borges broke Nadal’s serve early to go 3-1 up. Although Nadal saved break points, he couldn’t find his rhythm, allowing Borges to take the first set. In the second set, Borges broke Nadal again at 2-2, then won three consecutive games, sealing his first career title with an ace.
Reflecting on his victory, Borges said, “I’ve been wishing for this moment for a while. Tennis doesn’t always give you what you expect. We all wanted Rafa to win, but something bigger inside me pushed through today. I’m just really happy and very emotional.”
