The 17-year-old Leo Borg received a wild card at this week's Marbella Challenger, playing his fifth professional match and suffering the fifth loss.
The 6th seed Taro Daniel defeated the youngster 6-1, 6-2 in 69 minutes, saving all four break chances and stealing Borg's serve four times for a comfortable triumph. Borg will now travel to Mallorca and practice at Rafa Nadal Academy, saying he always loves to return there and work on his game. Leo met his idol Rafa at the Laver Cup, with his father serving as the Team Europe captain.
"It means a lot to me that they allowed me to play here in Marbella, and I am very grateful. My father never pushed me to be a tennis player, nor did I ask him about it. My father has achieved a lot in this sport, but I have always wanted to play tennis on my initiative. I know that he is proud of me and what I'm doing; I will do my best to achieve a nice career. I'm aware of all the comparisons with my father, but I don't care what they say. I think about my future and my own goals.
My father was a defensive player, and our styles are different. Unlike him, I want to attack instead of just passing the ball to the other side. I went to Rafa Nadal Academy a couple of times, but I can't practice there at the moment due to restrictions. I live and train in Stockholm, and my coach is also there. I go to Mallorca from time to time and will be there after finishing my duties in Marbella.
I met Rafa at the Laver Cup where my father is one of the captains; Rafa has always been my idol. My goal is to become professional, earn a living from tennis and become the top-10. In Marbella, I want to gather experience and chase my first pro win and points," Leo Borg said.