ATP Tour

Borges hoping to ‘cause some stress’ for Sinner at Wimbledon

As Jannik Sinner worked his way through a testing Wimbledon opener on Centre Court on Monday, Nuno Borges was among those keeping eye.

The defending champion Sinner eventually came through against Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets, but not before showing a few signs of early-tournament rust. The World No. 1 struck 52 unforced errors and was pushed deep before escaping 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3.

For Borges, who had earlier moved smoothly through his own opening-round match against Tristan Boyer, the question naturally followed: was there anything to take from it? 

“I thought it was normal. He also comes in as defending champion. It's not easy. It's a lot of pressure on him. I'm definitely going to try to play with that too,” Borges told ATPTour.com in London. “But I think if there is a better round to beat him, it would be in the first round where he's still adjusting. Again, it's really tough to beat him over three different sets. I guess that's why his opponent couldn't pull through, but clearly it was a close one.

“I think more time on court can help him start to feel his game on grass again. So I don't know, he can come out and really not give me a chance. I'm really not putting any expectations on it. I'll try to be ready for literally anything and will have freedom.”

Borges and Sinner have crossed paths before, although the matchup belongs to a different chapter of both of their careers.

Their lone previous meeting came at the ATP 250 event in Sofia in 2022. At the time, Sinner was outside the Top 10 and had not yet developed into the player who would go on to dominate at the sport's biggest events.

Even then, Borges, who was around No. 100, remembers walking away impressed.

“He broke me once each set. I was nowhere near his serve,” Borges recalled. “I don't think it was who he is now. At the time he was impressive but I didn’t think he would be No. 1 and winning Slams. Even if I did say, ‘Yeah, I felt it,’ I couldn't know. I think he's evolved a lot since then.

“I felt like I was so far from winning that match. I think I've also improved a lot since then. But yeah, I'm not the favourite, no. Hopefully I can cause some stress like Kecmanovic maybe caused him some stress.”

Borges may not consider himself the favourite, but he arrives at Wimbledon carrying momentum of his own. In terms of grass-court wins this season, the World No. 48 has a good record. Borges has earned five victories on the surface in 2026, highlighted by a semi-final run in Mallorca.

“It was a weird feeling because it was the first time that I did well in the week before Wimbledon,” said Borges, who reached the third round at The Championships last year. “I've usually been spending a few more days preparing, but in some ways it was great to get the wins on grass.

“Grass can be a little tricky because we don't have so many opportunities and only a couple of tournaments. You lose first round and you feel like you haven't really played that much. You haven't really found your groove. So I've been lucky with that and it definitely helps to come here and find solutions.”

Wednesday will also bring a new experience.

Borges is set to play on Centre Court for the first time, stepping onto one of the most recognisable stages in sport. But while it will be his Wimbledon debut under the biggest spotlight, it will not be his first experience playing in front of a huge crowd.

The Portuguese has previously played on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open, taking on Tommy Paul and Daniil Medvedev in front of more than 20,000 fans.

“I've played on Ashe, the biggest court of all,” Borges said. “The first time I played there was crazy because I couldn't talk to my coach. It was so loud. I wouldn't hear myself playing. So different from what I was used to.

“I did not play well [against Medvedev], but the second time I thought I did really good. I've played a couple of matches there. It definitely helps to have match time there. At Wimbledon, I have never played on a big court but I hope that past US Open experience helps.”

And despite the challenge ahead, Borges does not intend to reinvent anything before facing the World No. 1. His approach and pre-match routine will remain unchanged.

“I will try to switch off as much as I can,” Borges said. “But it is good to visualise the match. I think it's really useful. You've got to find the balance and see how mentally available you are to do that.

“I've been playing a lot and, to be honest, it's such a long year for us. I think you can push yourself for a few matches a year and maybe invest a little bit more mentally. “But it doesn't mean you're going to play better. This sport is kind of crazy like that. You really don't know what to expect. That's why it's so fun.”