Until a few days ago, Nuno Borges was not much known in the tennis world. However, his performances at the ongoing Australian Open have changed this scenario. Borges is having a giant-killing run Down Under, as he has entered the fourth round of the tournament. He has won over stars like Grigor Dimitrov and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. As he continues his winning spree, let’s dig deeper into this Portuguese player’s relationship with America.
The 26-year-old has been on the tour for a long time but didn’t have many credible performances until now. He made a big move early on in his career that is bearing fruits now.
Nuno Borges made the move to America
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Borges, born in 1997, is of Portuguese origin. While he started his playing career in his native country, he soon made the switch to the United States when he was 16. Borges played collegiate tennis for Mississippi State University from 2015 to 2019.
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It was a turning point in his career as he made the move to America to obtain better facilities and opportunities. The Portuguese star excelled at the college level and ended up as the NCAA singles runner-up in 2019. Additionally, he won a host of other awards, like the ITA National Player of the Year in 2019, SEC Player of the Year in 2017, 2108, and 2019.
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Borges is the top-ranked Portuguese men’s singles player. Although he has a long way to go, it is a step in the right direction for Borges at the Australian Open. Further, he admitted why he doesn’t like to accept defeats.
Talking about it, Borges said, “I was really just an average kid until I was 16, playing tennis, doing it for fun. I was always very competitive. I still do have a problem with accepting losses, and losing in card games or video games. Oh, it pisses me off so much. Tennis was my path of always being able to compete, which I love. I love winning…”
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Borges will face Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round tomorrow. Although he is not American, he will have both the Portuguese and the American fans cheering for him due to his Mississippi connection.
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