Borges said his team tried to negotiate with Wimbledon to allow him to wear a white Portugal jersey, but were unsuccessful. Instead, organizers allowed Borges to play with a black armband. He chose to attach it to his cap to honor his fellow countryman.

"I know Wimbledon has strict rules about clothing, but we should do something to pay respect to what happened," the world number 37 said. "Jota was a great player, much loved in Portugal. This is a tragedy for us."

Borges wears a cap with a black armband in memory of Diogo Jota, during his third-round Wimbledon match against Karen Khachanov on 4/7. Photo: Reuters

Borges wears a cap with a black armband in memory of Diogo Jota, during his third-round Wimbledon match against Karen Khachanov on 4/7. Photo: Reuters

Borges then lost to 17th seed Karen Khachanov in five sets, despite winning two of the first three. His compatriot, Francisco Cabral, played doubles with Neal Skupski on the same day. Both entered the court wearing black armbands in memory of Jota, who died on the morning of Thursday, 3/7, in a car accident in the province of Zamora, Spain. A few weeks ago, Jota helped Portugal win the Nations League and previously won the Premier League with Liverpool.

"I knew Jota through a mutual friend," said Cabral, the world number 46 doubles player. "Jota achieved great success, shone in major tournaments, and was an idol and inspiration to us. I received the news while driving to Wimbledon. My condolences to Jota's family."

Neal Skupski, the world number 11 doubles player, received two pieces of sad news on 3/7. "First, I was informed of Jota's death in a car accident. Before I could process that shock, I received the news of my grandmother's passing. It was a terrible day for me at Wimbledon," he said.

Fans of Liverpool and other English clubs visited Anfield to lay flowers in memory of Jota. The funeral of the 28-year-old striker will take place today in his hometown of Porto. Most of the Liverpool first-team members have flown there to attend the funeral, including two former captains, Jordan Henderson and James Milner. Henderson was seen crying as he joined Liverpool fans in laying flowers outside Anfield.

Vy Anh