Genius Or Childish? Nuno Borges’ Underarm Serve Ace Sparks Fiery Debate | WATCH

Last Updated:April 15, 2026, 19:11 IST

Nuno Borges stunned Barcelona with an audacious underarm ace on match point to beat Etcheverry.

There’s adding insult to injury… and then there’s winning a match with an underarm ace on match point.

Nuno Borges pulled off one of the most audacious finishes of the season, knocking out Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 7-6(4) to storm into the quarterfinals of the 2026 Barcelona Open.

Match Point Madness

With the match on the line and clearly dealing with physical discomfort late on, Borges opted for the unexpected.

On his second match point in the tiebreak, the Portuguese star unleashed an underarm serve, catching Etcheverry completely off guard.

The result? A clean ace. Match over.

It was so sudden that even the broadcast cameras nearly missed the moment. The crowd, too, didn’t quite know how to react: half applause, half disbelief.

The Argentine Etcheverry was visibly annoyed, avoided eye contact during a frosty handshake at the net, as murmurs rippled through the stands.

Underarm serves are perfectly legal, but they remain one of tennis’ most controversial tactics. Some see them as clever innovations, while others view them as borderline disrespectful.

Either way, Borges didn’t care, and he got the job done.

A Breakthrough Moment

Ranked World No. 52, the Portuguese No. 1 has now reached the quarterfinals of an ATP 500 event for the first time in his career. His rise has been steady, highlighted by his 2024 Swedish Open title, where he defeated none other than Rafael Nadal.

News sports tennis Genius Or Childish? Nuno Borges’ Underarm Serve Ace Sparks Fiery Debate | WATCH

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