“Great crowd, great atmosphere. They helped me battle through my demons,” Nuno Borges said on reaching the finale of an event after a long wait of four-months! From a first-round exit at Wimbledon to reaching the finals at the Swedish Open, Borges has made a transition that every player desires! But facing him next is a legend of the sport, Rafael Nadal. Will he rise through? Probably, with the guidance of his coaches, he can! So, let’s dive into the constant support system working behind him, his two coaches, Rui Machado and Hugo Anao.

The Portuguese player who won the Challenger Phoenix event in March, is ready for his second final match of the season in Sweden. And helping him throughout will be one of the best Portuguese players of all time, the former tennis player, Machado, who is one of Borges’ coaches. The 40-year-old once held the position of 59 in the ATP ranking, which was the highest that any Portuguese player held until then. However, if one looks at Borges’ ranking, he had an even better one, reaching No. 46 this season. 

Nevertheless, Machado’s love for tennis began when he was 6, but soon the former player, who can speak Portuguese, Spanish, and English, showed promise on the tennis court, winning the junior national singles championship in 2001. Machado, who initially dreamed of studying economics at a Catalan University, later diverted his attention to playing professional tennis and made waves in the sport.

His starting point was the future circuit, where he excelled in doubles, taking home two trophies from 2002 until 2005. And when it came to the Challenger tournaments, he emerged victorious 8 times, losing only twice in the finals (from 2009 to 2012). Interestingly, all of them were on clay, his favorite surface, except one in Greece (April 2009). However, in doubles, he acquired only one title.

But his success came in the Futures event, where Machado, who loves to hit a forehand, clinched 10 clay court titles over the years (from 2003 to 2016), and 8 hard court ones! However, in doubles, Machado, who grew up idolizing Stefan Edberg, couldn’t produce the same result, winning only 5 matches in his career. But if you ask him what he would have been if not a tennis player, then his answer would be a businessman, just like his father. However, his best memory still involves tennis, where he reflects on the time when he played his first Grand Slam draw at the US Open in 2008.

But currently, he is busy utilizing all his expertise to guide Borges to success. But he is not the only one! Anao, who graced the ITF, ATP, and Davis Cup events in his time, is also there. Comparatively, he has not played many matches in tennis, with only two on clay and three on the hard courts, winning one on both surfaces. However, Anao, who ranks much lower in the ATP ranking now (1323), is putting in all the effort to push Borges to fight against one of the toughest players of all time, Rafael Nadal.

Borges pours his heart out after he secures a spot in the final against Rafael Nadal 

The seventh seed from Portugal had a massive victory against Thiago Agustin Tirante in the semi-finals (6-3, 6-4) to secure a spot in the summit clash of the tournament. But, maybe he has put himself in a much more dangerous situation now!

As he will compete against the 22-time Grand Slam champion for the first time in his career, it will be a delight to watch how he surpasses the ‘King of Clay’. However, for Borges, it has become more than just a competition; it is where he has made his childhood dream come true.

“Just sharing the court with Nadal, specially in a final, is a dream came true. I will try to enjoy as much as possible and still try to be competitive and win,” he said after his latest win. While Borges comes up with his best game, let’s also remember the hard work that goes behind his success, especially with the valuable contribution of his coaches!