Nuno Borges walked off the court with a mix of disappointment and frustration. He had just lost to Alexei Popyrin in three sets, despite making history as the first Portuguese player to reach the third round at Roland Garros.
The numbers told the story – 13 aces and 80% of points won on his first serve for Popyrin. Borges struggled to return the Australian’s serve, failing to respond for two sets. “It’s pathetic to not be able to return serve at this level,” he said in a post-match press conference.
Borges’s own game was marred by unforced errors and poor decision-making. He took risks that didn’t pay off and executed shots poorly. Despite taking two sets to a tie-break, he couldn’t capitalize on his chances. “I was physically better than him at the end, but I couldn’t play well,” he lamented.
The feather in his cap – being the first Portuguese player to reach the third round at Roland Garros – didn’t bring him much comfort. Borges had also become the first Portuguese player to beat a top-10 ATP player in a Grand Slam tournament. But for him, it was all about the game, not the history books. “I don’t feed off those things,” he said. “I’m focused on my journey, and I wanted to win this match. Nothing else mattered.”
His disappointment stemmed from not being able to play his best game, even in a loss. “If I had played well against Casper Ruud and lost, I would have left feeling better than I do now,” he said, referencing his previous match. The what-ifs lingered, but for Borges, it was back to the drawing board, to work on his game and come back stronger.