Nadal denied as Borges claims maiden Tour title in Swedish Open

Nuno Borges has won his first-ever ATP Tour title with an impressive straight-sets upset against Rafael Nadal at the Swedish Open.

Borges was just too strong as he raced to a 6-3 6-2 victory over Nadal, who competed in his first final since 2022.

The Portuguese took the first two games before the two traded breaks, though Borges' early edge put him in control to take the first set.

Nadal, who was forced to go the distance in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, struggled to match Borges' attack despite a strong start to the second set.

The seventh seed proceeded to win the last five games in a row to squash Nadal's hopes of a 93rd singles title, earning a maiden trophy of his own.

Nu-NO way past @nunoborges97 is an ATP champion for the very first time @NordeaOpen | #NordeaOpen pic.twitter.com/JsdykVlB4a

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 21, 2024

Data Debrief: First trophy in the bag

Borges was at the top of his game as he downed the 22-time grand slam winner on Sunday, breaking Nadal's serve five times en route to victory.

While Nadal's tournament ended in defeat, there are positives to take from Bastad having reached his first final since the 2022 French Open, and he heads to the Olympics with an 11-6 record.