Nuno Borges is living his tennis dream. The 27-year-old Portuguese star won the biggest match of his career after defeating Rafael Nadal in the summit clash of the Swedish Open. Borges was dominant from start to finish as he completed a straightforward victory in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. While his performance was exceptional, what was even more interesting was that he dominated Nadal on the Spaniard’s favorite surface, the clay court. Following his victory, Borges got real about his thrilling performance today against Nadal.

The 27-year-old got emotional after his victory and thanked the Bastad crowd for their constant support throughout the tournament. Additionally, he also revealed how he kept his emotions in check while facing Nadal on clay. Borges said, “I was nervous already. After Rafa gave that speech, now I’m even more nervous. First time here. I never thought I’d be here playing in a full stadium against Rafa on clay.”

Nadal credited Borges and said that he deserved to win after putting on a thrilling display. This gave Borges goosebumps, as he was praised by one of the best players tennis has ever seen. The Portuguese star further revealed, “It’s a dream come true. Right now I’m living in the clouds. I’m somewhere there. I’d like to congratulate Rafa. I told him it wasn’t his best match obviously. Everyone loves to see you competing… People follow you.. You’re a big inspiration for everybody. Especially the players that look up to you and all you’ve done.”

Despite the disappointing loss, there was some respite for Nadal in the form of his live ATP ranking. The Spanish legend climbed 100 spots after reaching the final in Bastad. He will be at the 161st spot when the new ATP rankings will be released tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Borges is a big fan of Nadal and was facing him for the first time. The 27-year-old made an interesting revelation about Nadal after the match today.

Borges wanted Rafael Nadal to win against him

It was Nadal’s first final this year, after having a start-and-stop season owing to injuries. This gave him a first shot at the title in months and fans across the globe were hoping for Nadal to win today and lift the trophy. Along with the millions of fans worldwide, Borges was also hoping that Nadal would come out on top.

He revealed, “I don’t know what to say. I think I was wishing for this moment for a while already. It’s crazy, in tennis it doesn’t happen when you expect it sometimes. I know we all wanted Rafa to win, a part of me wished that too, but something even bigger inside of me really pushed through today. Through all the emotions, through all the ups and downs.”

While Borges would look to relish the biggest victory of his career, he has a bigger task at hand. The Portuguese star will carry his country’s hopes at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, where he will be the sole representative from his country in the singles department.