'Average kid' Borges soaring beyond his wildest dreams

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Nuno Borges cannot stand losing.

In fact, the 26-year-old detests defeat so much, it has driven him to success beyond anything he ever imagined. The Portuguese star, who comes from a family without any tennis background, is up to a career-high No. 56 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings and climbing.

This week by making the third round of the Australian Open, he advanced past the second round of a tour-level event for the first time. He can become just the second player — man or woman — from his country to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament (Joao Sousa, two times).

“I was really just an average kid until I was 16, playing tennis, doing it for fun. I was always very competitive,” Borges told ATPTour.com. “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, I love being able to overcome the obstacles and proving myself once again. I think this is what I play for.”

Borges never envisioned being here. His father, Paolo, is a car salesman who played volleyball. His mother, Virginia, contracts with travel agencies to train their employees. When Borges was six, he began playing tennis at a local club in Maia near his home. There was no grand plan to turn him into a prodigy.

“I think the fact that [my parents] never expected anything like this is kind of amazing. It's not like they didn't believe in me. But the reality was not this,” Borges said. “It was really taken step by step throughout my youth. I really didn't have the crazy investment that a lot of these guys had, doing this basically full time since they were like 13, 14. Some of these guys have been working since an early age to become the best in the world and I really can't say that I did.”

But one thing that was always there for Borges was his competitive spirit. It even showed up in high school.

“It's stuff that I have no obligation to be good at or even win, I still struggle to accept it. There was a badminton tournament in high school. It was ninth grade or 10th grade and I lost in the final. I was so upset,” Borges said. “[It was against] a guy that actually practised badminton. I still didn't manage to get it around my head and just accept it. I was upset for the whole day.

“But I think that's the drive that got me here. It's not very healthy, always, but it keeps me going to get my best, to try to improve. It makes a difference.”

Aged 16, Borges began to believe he could make a living playing tennis. But instead of turning pro, he enrolled at Mississippi State University in 2015 to play college tennis.

“I didn't see myself succeeding just yet,” Borges admitted. “I thought I needed more time. I wasn't ready for the Tour.”

While at school, Borges racked up several honours. He was three-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, a multiple-time All-American in singles and doubles, and in 2019 reached the final of the NCAA Singles Championships.

But one loss that sticks with him was a defeat to current Top 100 ATP pro Borna Gojo in the semi-finals of the 2018 NCAA Singles Championships.

“He was playing at home and I was up 6-2, 5-4, 15/40 and he aced me three times to save the game. It was Deuce and he aced me and I believe he aced me once on second serve as well,” Borges recalled. “He beat me 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. Honestly I don't want to tell you what I did. I couldn't talk to anybody. I went straight to the locker just thinking, ‘What the heck happened?’”

Borges embarked on his professional career in 2020 but between the Covid-19 pandemic and injuries to his left wrist and both ankles, it was not a perfect start. The Portuguese player enjoyed more immediate success in doubles with countryman Francisco Cabral.

In January 2022, Borges was set to make his Grand Slam qualifying debut in singles at the Australian Open, but the day before his match tested positive for Covid-19, forcing him to withdraw. “It was really unfortunate,” he said. “I guess it was worth the wait.”

Two years later, Borges is soaring higher than he ever thought imaginable. A win against 13th seed Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday and he will crack the Top 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

“Just really proud of myself. I'm really happy, I can't even describe it,” Borges said. “It's a dream come true just being in these tournaments and belonging, feeling like I belong in these tournaments and competing with the best.”

The Portuguese's coach, countryman Rui Machado, knew him before he went to college. But it was after his time at Mississippi State that the former World No. 59 realised what Borges is capable of.

"He was just a young guy playing good tennis. But when I saw him after college, I started to watch him playing tournaments and competing. When he started to play professionally, I realised that he's a special guy," Machado said. "He is the type of guy that he wants to win everything. No matter how, he wants to win.

"He gets very upset when he loses. If you see Nuno taking his hat off or taking his hat and hitting it with the floor a lot of times you will be sure that he's very upset at this moment. Sometimes if it's a special moment for him he gets very, very upset and and it's his way to get out of it. And then he takes the hat and hits the floor. I think it's a very uncommon way to show when he is upset. If you see this from the outside, sometimes it's even funny."

But it is that competitive spirit that has brought him to this moment, competing on the biggest stages in the world. Borges never pondered the thought of competing in stadiums like Kia Arena, where he will face Dimitrov. Some players dream of becoming World No. 1 and winning Grand Slams. Simply being at this level is beyond Borges’ aspirations.

“I [already] fulfilled my dream. I'm just here looking one step at a time for more and more. I've done way more than I ever wished for before,” Borges said. “I just keep [giving] new goals to myself and honestly more in the short term than the long term because when I was 13, 14, I didn't see myself playing professionally. I didn't see myself playing in these stadiums. It's crazy. So now that I'm here, I'm just trying to enjoy.”

The Portuguese added: “I get to do what I like best and I love to do this, playing tennis and these tournaments. It brought me to this beautiful tournament and not just this one, the whole Tour. It's been a dream come true more than I ever imagined.”