Tennis player became the second Portuguese to reach the top 30 and, he argues that “each tournament is an opportunity”. “I know I can go further in this tournament. I’ve never reached the quarter-finals, so I’m going to look for it”, says Nuno Borges.
Portuguese tennis player Nuno Borges told the Lusa agency this Monday that in 2026 he wants to achieve the best ranking ever and reach the quarter-finals of one of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
“I would like to break a new ‘high ranking’ [classificação máxima] and I would like to reach my first quarter-final of a Grand Slam”, said the current 47th in the ATP rankings.
The 28-year-old maiato assured: “I try to get as much motivation as possible, that’s it. I’m here, I’m where I want to be. I know that in tennis you can’t be comfortable, I’m not, I won’t be, I’m always looking for a little more”.
In September 2024, Borges became the second Portuguese to reach the top 30 and, last year, he reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, in January, and the United States Open, in August.
“But these things are out of my control. I’m just worried about the next game, doing what I can, and trying to have fun doing it. I really like this sport, that’s how it started”, he highlighted.
New tennis season
The maiato was speaking after starting the new tennis season on the right foot, beating Bosnian Damir Dzumhur in two stages, 6-4 and 6-3, and qualifying for the round of 16 of the Hong Kong Open, a tournament in which he is the eighth seed.
O Borges’ next opponent is 37-year-old Croatian Marin Cilic, 70th in the world and winner of the United States Open in 2014, who today beat another veteran, Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, number 68 in the rankings, by double 6-2.
Nuno Borges aims to win the biggest tournaments
Hong Kong also serves as preparation for the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, which starts on January 12, but the Portuguese is still watching the title up for grabs in the Chinese region.
“I know I can go further in this tournament. I’ve never reached the quarter-finals, so I’m going to look for it. I think each tournament is an opportunity”, he highlighted.
Nuno Borges wants to shine in Hong Kong, but he also points to the biggest tournaments: “Obviously, if we can choose, we choose the biggest tournaments, where there are more points at stake, more money, obviously these are the big stages where we also want to be happy”.
“But sometimes you have to win a lot of games here to be able to stay on these big stages. I don’t devalue this tournament in any way, it’s very important for me, not only as a construction, for Australia, but for the rest of the year, for my career”, said Borges.
Precisely five years ago, the current Portuguese number one was in 399th place in the rankings and competing in tournaments on the challenger circuit, the second tier of world tennis.
That’s why Borges highlights the essential thing: “I want to make the most of this life I’m living, because it’s really where I’ve always wanted to be. In fact, I didn’t even know I wanted this until I was actually here and realized that I’m living more than my dream.”
