Björn Borg

Björn Borg
Björn Borg in June 1987
Full name Björn Rune Borg
Country (sports)  Sweden
Residence Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born (1956-06-06) 6 June 1956
Stockholm, Sweden
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned pro 1973 (amateur tour from 1971)
Retired 1983
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach Lennart Bergelin (1971–1983)
Ron Thatcher (1991–1993)
Prize money US$ 3,655,751
Int. Tennis HoF 1987 (member page)
Singles
Career record 639–130 (83.09%)
Career titles 64
Highest ranking No. 1 (23 August 1977)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 3R (1974)
French Open W (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981)
Wimbledon W (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
US Open F (1976, 1978, 1980, 1981)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals W (1979, 1980)
WCT Finals W (1976)
Doubles
Career record 86–81 (51.2%)
Career titles 4
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 3R (1973)
French Open SF (1974, 1975)
Wimbledon 3R (1976)
US Open 3R (1975)
Team competitions
Davis Cup W (1975)

Björn Rune Borg (Swedish pronunciation: [bjœːɳ bɔrj] ( listen); born 6 June 1956) is a Swedish former world No. 1 tennis player widely considered to be one of the greatest in the history of the sport.[1][2][3] Between 1974 and 1981 he became the first man in the Open Era to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles (six at the French Open and five consecutive at Wimbledon). He also won three year-end championships and 15 Grand Prix Super Series titles. Overall, he set numerous records that still stand.

A teenage sensation at the start of his career, Borg's unprecedented stardom and consistent success helped propel the rising popularity of tennis during the 1970s.[4] As a result, the professional tour became more lucrative, and in 1979 he was the first player to earn more than one million dollars in prize money in a single season. He also made millions in endorsements throughout his career. The downside, however, was that the constant attention and pressure eventually caused burnout and his retirement at the age of 26.[5]

Early life

Björn Borg was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on 6 June 1956, as the only child of Rune (1932-2008) and Margaretha Borg (b. 1934).[3] He grew up in nearby Södertälje. As a child, Borg became fascinated with a golden tennis racket that his father won at a table-tennis tournament. His father gave him the racket, beginning his tennis career.[6]

A player of great athleticism and endurance, he had a distinctive style and appearance—bowlegged and very fast. His muscularity allowed him to put heavy topspin on both his forehand and two-handed backhand. He followed Jimmy Connors in using the two-handed backhand. By the time he was 13 he was beating the best of Sweden's under-18 players, and Davis Cup captain Lennart Bergelin (who served as Borg's primary coach throughout his professional career) cautioned against anyone trying to change Borg's rough-looking, jerky strokes.[7]

Career

1972/73 – Davis Cup debut and first year on the tour

At the age of 15 Borg represented Sweden in the 1972 Davis Cup and won his debut singles rubber in five sets against veteran Onny Parun of New Zealand. Later that year, he won the Wimbledon junior singles title, recovering from a 5–2 deficit in the final set to overcome Britain's Buster Mottram. Then in December he won the Orange Bowl Junior Championship for boys, 18 and under after a straight sets victory in the final over Vitas Gerulaitis.[8][9] Borg joined the professional circuit in 1973, and reached his first singles final in April at the Monte Carlo Open which he lost to Ilie Năstase.[10] He was unseeded at his first French Open and reached the fourth round where he lost in four sets to eight-seeded Adriano Panatta. Borg was seeded sixth at his first Wimbledon Championships, in large part due to a boycott by the ATP, and reached the quarterfinal where he was defeated in a five-set match by Roger Taylor.[11] In the second half of 1973 he was runner-up in San Francisco, Stockholm and Buenos Aires and finished the year ranked No. 18.[10][12]

1974 – First French Open title

Borg made his only appearance at the Australian Open, at the age of 17, and reached the third round where he lost in straight sets to eventual finalist Phil Dent. In January he won his first career singles title at the New Zealand Open,[13] followed by titles in London and São Paulo in February and March respectively. Just before his 18th birthday in June 1974, Borg won his first top-level singles title at the Italian Open, defeating defending champion and top-seeded Ilie Năstase in the final and becoming its youngest winner.[14][15][16] Two weeks later he won the singles title at the French Open, his first Grand Slam tournament title, defeating Manuel Orantes in the final in five sets. Barely 18, Borg was the youngest-ever male French Open champion up to that point.

1975 – Retained French Open title

In early 1975, Borg defeated Rod Laver, then 36 years old, in a semifinal of the World Championship Tennis (WCT) finals in Dallas, Texas, in five sets. Borg subsequently lost to Arthur Ashe in the final. Borg retained his French Open title in 1975, beating Guillermo Vilas in the final in straight sets.[17] Borg then reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals, where he lost to eventual champion Ashe. Borg did not lose another match at Wimbledon until 1981. Borg won two singles and one doubles rubber in the 1975 Davis Cup final, as Sweden beat Czechoslovakia 3–2. With these singles wins, Borg had won 19 consecutive Davis Cup singles rubbers since 1973. That was already a record at the time. However, Borg never lost another Davis Cup singles rubber, and, by the end of his career, he had stretched that winning streak to 33.[18]

1976 – First Wimbledon title

In early 1976, Borg won the World Championship Tennis year-end WCT Finals in Dallas, Texas, with a four-set victory over Guillermo Vilas in the final. At the 1976 French Open, Borg lost to the Italian Adriano Panatta, who remains the only player to defeat Borg at this tournament. Panatta did it twice: in the fourth round in 1973, and in the 1976 quarterfinals. Borg won Wimbledon in 1976 without losing a set, defeating the favored Ilie Năstase in the final. Borg became the youngest male Wimbledon champion of the modern era at 20 years and 1 month (a record subsequently broken by Boris Becker, who won Wimbledon aged 17 in 1985). It would be the last time Borg played Wimbledon as an underdog. Năstase later exclaimed, "We're playing tennis, he's [Borg] playing something else." Borg also reached the final of the 1976 U.S. Open, which was then being played on clay courts. Borg lost in four sets to world no. 1 Jimmy Connors.

1977 – Second Wimbledon title and world No.1 ranking

In February 1977 World Championship Tennis (WCT) sued Borg and his management company IMG claiming that Borg had committed a breach of contract by electing to participate in the competing 1977 Grand Prix circuit instead of the WCT circuit. Borg eventually played, and won, a single WCT event, the Monte Carlo WCT.[19][20] An out-of-court settlement was reached whereby Borg committed to play six or eight WCT events in 1978 which were then part of the Grand Prix circuit.[21]

Borg skipped the French Open in 1977 because he was under contract with WTT, but he repeated his Wimbledon triumph, although this time he was pushed much harder. He defeated his good friend Vitas Gerulaitis in a semifinal in five sets.[22] In the 1977 final Borg was pushed to five sets for the third time in the tournament, this time by Connors.[23] The win propelled Borg to the no. 1 ranking on the computer, albeit for just one week in August. Prior to the 1977 US Open, Borg aggravated a shoulder injury while waterskiing with Vitas Gerulaitis. This injury ultimately forced him to retire from the Open during a Round of 16 match vs Dick Stockton.[24] Through 1977, he had never lost to a player younger than himself.

1978 – French and Wimbledon titles

Borg was at the height of his career from 1978 through 1980, completing the French Open-Wimbledon double all three years. In 1978, Borg won the French Open with a win over Vilas in the final. Borg did not drop a set during the tournament, a feat only he, Năstase (in 1973), and Rafael Nadal (in 2008, 2010 and 2017) have accomplished at the French Open during the open era. Borg defeated Connors in straight sets in the 1978 Wimbledon final. At the 1978 US Open, now held on hard courts in Flushing Meadow, New York, he lost the final in straight sets to Connors. Borg was suffering from a bad blister on his thumb that required pre-match injections.[25] That autumn, Borg faced John McEnroe for the first time in a semifinal of the Stockholm Open, and lost.

Björn Borg playing a double-handed backhand shot at the 1979 ABN World Tennis Tournament

1979 – French and Wimbledon titles and year-end No.1 ranking

Borg lost to McEnroe again in four sets in the final of the 1979 WCT Finals but was now overtaking Connors for the top ranking. Borg established himself firmly in the top spot with his fourth French Open singles title and fourth straight Wimbledon singles title, defeating Connors in a straight-set semifinal at the latter tournament. At the 1979 French Open, Borg defeated big-serving Victor Pecci in a four-set final, and in the 1979 Wimbledon final Borg came from behind to overcome an even bigger server, Roscoe Tanner. Borg was upset by Tanner at the US Open, in a four-set quarterfinal played under the lights. At the season-ending Masters tournament in January 1980, Borg survived a close semifinal against McEnroe. He then beat Gerulaitis in straight sets, winning his first Masters and first title in New York.

1980 – Fifth consecutive Wimbledon title

In June 1980 he overcame Gerulaitis, again in straight sets, for his fifth French Open title. Again, he did not drop a set.[26]

Borg won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon singles title, the 1980 Wimbledon Men's Singles final, by defeating McEnroe in a five-set match, often cited as the best Wimbledon final ever played – the only comparable match being the 2008 Federer – Nadal final.[27][28] Having lost the opening set to an all-out McEnroe assault, Borg took the next two and had two championship points at 5–4 in the fourth. However, McEnroe averted disaster and went on to level the match in Wimbledon's most memorable 34-point tiebreaker, which he won 18–16. In the fourth-set tiebreak, McEnroe saved five match points, and Borg six set points, before McEnroe won the set.[28] Björn served first to begin the 5th set and fell behind 15–40. Borg then won 19 straight points on serve in the deciding set and prevailed after 3 hours, 53 minutes.[27] Borg himself commented years later that this was the first time that he was afraid that he would lose, as well as feeling that it was the beginning of the end of his dominance.[28][29]

In September, 1980 Borg reached the final of the U.S. Open for the third time, losing to John McEnroe in five sets in a match that cemented what had become the greatest contemporary rivalry, albeit it short-lived, in men's tennis.

He defeated McEnroe in the final of the 1980 Stockholm Open, and faced him one more time that year, in the round-robin portion of the year-end Masters, actually played in January 1981. With 19,103 fans in attendance, Borg won a deciding third-set tie-break for the second year in a row. Borg then defeated Ivan Lendl for his second Masters title.[28]

1981 – Sixth and final French Open title

Borg won his last Grand Slam title at the French Open in 1981, defeating Lendl in a five-set final. Borg's six French Open Grand Slam titles was a record bettered only by Rafael Nadal in 2012.

In reaching the Wimbledon final in 1981, Borg stretched his winning streak at the All England Club to a record 41 matches. In a semifinal, Borg was down to Connors by two sets to love, before coming back to win the match. However, Borg's streak was brought to an end by McEnroe, who defeated him in four sets. Years afterward, Borg remarked "And when I lost what shocked me was I wasn't even upset. That was not me: losing a Wimbledon final and not upset. I hate to lose." Borg around that time felt that his desire to play was gone, despite McEnroe's desperate efforts to persuade him not to retire and continue their rivalry.[29]

Borg went on to lose to McEnroe at the 1981 US Open. After that defeat, Borg walked off the court and out of the stadium before the ceremonies and press conference had begun, and headed straight for the airport.[28][29] There are reports that Borg received threats after his semifinal win over Connors. In later years, Borg apologized to McEnroe. The 1981 US Open would be the Swede's last Grand Slam final. Major tournaments and tour organizers were enforcing a new rule; by 1982, that players had to play at least 10 official tournaments per year. However, Borg wanted to curtail his schedule after many years of winning so often. Although he felt in good condition physically, he recognized that the relentless drive to win and defy tour organizers had begun to fade.[29]

Borg failed to win the US Open in 10 tries, losing four finals, 1976 and 1978 to Jimmy Connors, and 1980 and 1981 to John McEnroe. He played on hard courts at the US Open from 1978 to 1981 and reached the final there on three occasions, in 1978, 1980 and 1981. He led 3–2 in the fifth set of the 1980 final, before losing. That match followed Borg's classic encounter with McEnroe at the 1980 Wimbledon. In 1978, 1979 and 1980, Borg was halfway to a Grand Slam after victories at the French and Wimbledon (the Australian Open being the last Grand Slam tournament of each year at the time) only to falter at Flushing Meadow, lefty Tanner his conqueror in 1979.

In 1982, Borg played only one tournament, losing to Yannick Noah in the quarterfinals of Monte Carlo in April. Nevertheless, Borg's announcement in January 1983 that he was retiring from the game at the age of 26 was a shock to the tennis world. McEnroe tried unsuccessfully to persuade Borg to continue. He did, however, play Monte Carlo again in March 1983, reaching the second round, and Stuttgart in July 1984.

Retirement

Borg in 1991

Upon retirement, Borg had three residences, a penthouse in Monte Carlo, not far from his pro shop, a mansion on Long Island, New York and a small island off the Swedish coast.

Borg later bounced back as the owner of the Björn Borg fashion label. In Sweden his label has become very successful, second only to Calvin Klein.[29][30]

Failed comeback

From 1991–1993, Borg attempted a comeback on the men's professional tennis tour, coached by a Welsh karate expert named Ron Thatcher (aka Tai Honsai). Before his 1991 return, Borg grew his hair out as it had been during his previous professional tennis career and he returned to using a wooden racket; he had kept his hair cut and used modern graphite rackets in exhibitions he played during the late 1980s. Borg, however, failed to win a single match. He faced Jordi Arrese in his first match back, again at Monte Carlo but without practising or playing any exhibition matches, and fell in two sets. In his first nine matches, played in 1991 and 1992, Borg failed to win a single set. He fared slightly better in 1993, taking a set off his opponent in each of the three matches he played. He came closest to getting a win in what turned out to be his final tour match, falling to Alexander Volkov.

In 1992 Borg, aged 35, using a graphite racket, defeated John Lloyd, 37, at the Inglewood Forum Tennis Challenge. Borg later joined the Champions tour, returning to shorter hair and using modern rackets.

Personal life

Borg and Simionescu in Snagov, Romania, on 24 July 1980

Borg married Romanian tennis pro Mariana Simionescu in Bucharest on 24 July 1980.[31] The marriage ended in divorce in 1984. He fathered a child by the Swedish model Jannike Björling, and he was married to the Italian singer Loredana Bertè from 1989 to 1993.[29] On 8 June 2002, Borg married for a third time; his new wife being Patricia Östfeld. Together they have a son, Leo, born in 2003, who is currently the highest ranked 14-year-old tennis player in Sweden.[32][33]

He narrowly avoided personal bankruptcy when business ventures failed.[34][35]

Memorabilia preserved

In March 2006, Bonhams Auction House in London announced that it would auction Borg's Wimbledon trophies and two of his winning rackets on 21 June 2006.[36] Several players then called Borg in an attempt to make him reconsider, including Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi who volunteered to buy them to keep them together. According to Dagens Nyheter – who had talked to Borg – McEnroe called Borg from New York and asked, "What's up? Have you gone mad?" and said "What the hell are you doing?"[37] The conversation with McEnroe, paired with pleas from Connors and Agassi, eventually persuaded Borg to buy out the trophies from Bonhams for an undisclosed amount.[29]

Distinctions and honors

Recognition

With 11 Grand Slam titles, Borg ranks sixth in the list of male tennis players who have won the most Grand Slam singles titles behind Roger Federer (20), Rafael Nadal (17), Pete Sampras (14), Novak Djokovic (14), and Roy Emerson (12). The French Open—Wimbledon double he achieved three times consecutively was called by Wimbledon officials "the most difficult double in tennis"[40] and "a feat considered impossible among today's players."[41] Only Nadal (in 2008 and 2010) and Federer (in 2009) have managed to achieve this double since, and Andre Agassi, Nadal, Federer and Djokovic are the only male players since Borg to have won the French Open and Wimbledon men's singles titles over their career. Ilie Năstase once said about Borg, "We're playing tennis, and he's playing something else".

In his 1979 autobiography, Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, had already included Borg in his list of the 21 greatest players of all time. And in 2003, Bud Collins chose Borg as one of his top-five male players of all time.[42]

In 2008, ESPN.com asked tennis analysts, writers, and former players to build the perfect open era player. Borg was the only player mentioned in four categories: defense, footwork, intangibles, and mental toughness—with his mental game and footwork singled out as the best in open era history.[43]

Borg famously never won the US Open, losing in the final four times. Borg also never won the Australian Open, as he only played in the event once, in 1974 as a 17-year-old. The only players to defeat Borg in a Grand Slam final were fellow World No. 1 tennis players John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. Even though it was then played on grass, a surface where he enjoyed much success, Borg chose to play the Australian Open only once, in 1974, where he lost in the third round. Phil Dent, a contemporary of Borg, has pointed out that skipping Grand Slam tournaments—especially the Australian Open—was not unusual then, before counting Grand Slam titles became the norm.[44] Additionally, another contemporary Arthur Ashe told Sports Illustrated, "I think Bjorn could have won the U.S. Open. I think he could have won the Grand Slam, but by the time he left, the historical challenge didn't mean anything. He was bigger than the game. He was like Elvis or Liz Taylor or somebody."[45]

Playing style

Borg had one of the most distinctive playing styles in the Open Era.[46] He played from the baseline, with powerful ground-strokes. His highly unorthodox backhand involved taking his racket back with both hands but actually generating his power with his dominant right hand, letting go of the grip with his left hand around point of contact, and following through with his swing as a one-hander.[47] He hit the ball hard and high from the back of the court and brought it down with considerable topspin, which made his ground strokes very consistent.[48] There had been other players, particularly Rod Laver and Arthur Ashe, who played with topspin on both the forehand and backhand, yet Laver and Ashe used topspin only as a way to mix up their shots to pass their opponents at the net easily. Borg was one of the first top players to use heavy topspin on his shots consistently.[46]

Complementing his consistent ground-strokes was his fitness. Both of these factors allowed Borg to be dominant at the French Open.[49]

One of the factors that made Borg unique was his dominance on the grass courts of Wimbledon, where baseliners since World War II did not usually succeed. Some experts attributed his dominance on this surface to his consistency, an underrated serve, equally underrated volleys, and his adaptation to grass courts. Against the best players, he almost always served-and-volleyed on his first serves (but he naturally played from the baseline after his second serves).[49][50]

Another trait usually associated with Borg is his grace under pressure. His calm court demeanor earned him the nickname of the "Ice Man" or "Ice-Borg."[51]

Borg's physical conditioning was legendary and unrivalled. He could outlast most of his opponents under the most grueling conditions. Contrary to popular belief, however, this wasn't due to his exceptionally low resting heart rate, often reported to be near 35 beats per minute. In his introduction to Borg's autobiography My Life and Game, Eugene Scott relates that this rumor arose from a medical exam the 18-year-old Borg once took for military service, where his pulse was recorded as 38. Scott goes on to reveal Borg's true pulse rate as "about 50 when he wakes up and around 60 in the afternoon."[52] Borg is credited with helping to develop the style of play that has come to dominate the game today.[50]

Laver Cup

From 22–24 September 2017, Borg was the victorious captain of Team Europe in the first ever edition of the Laver Cup, held in Prague, Czech Republic. Borg's Team Europe defeated a rest of the world team, known as Team World, who were coached by Borg's old rival, John McEnroe. Europe won the contest 15 points to 9, with Roger Federer achieving a narrow vital victory over Nick Kyrgios in the last match played.

Borg returned as the coach of Team Europe for the second edition in Chicago, Illinois from September 21-23, 2018. McEnroe also returned as the coach for Team World. Borg again lead Europe to victory as Alexander Zverev defeated Kevin Anderson to secure the title 13-8, after trailing Anderson in the match tiebreak until the last few points.

Career statistics

Singles performance timeline

Tournament197319741975197619771978197919801981SRW–LWin %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A 3R A A A A A A A 0 / 1 1–1 50.00
French Open 4R W W QF A W W W W 6 / 8 49–2 96.08
Wimbledon QF 3R QF W W W W W F 5 / 9 51–4 92.73
US Open 4R 2R SF F 4R F QF F F 0 / 9 40–9 81.63
Win–Loss 10–3 11–3 16–2 17–2 10–1 20–1 18–1 20–1 19–2 11 / 27 141–16 89.81
Year-end championship
The Masters[lower-alpha 1] A RR F A F A W W A 2 / 5 16–6 72.72
WCT Finals A F F W A SF F A A 1 / 5 10–3 76.92
Year end rankings 18 3 3 2 3 2 1 1 4 $3,655,751
  • The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December. Borg did not play either match.

Records

  • These records were attained in the entire period of tennis from 1877.[53]
  • Records in bold indicate peer-less achievements.
  • ^ Denotes consecutive streak.

All-time records

Tournament Since Record accomplished Players matched References
Grand Slams187789.81% (141–16) Major winning percentageStands alone[54]
Grand Slam1877Won 3 tournaments without losing a setRichard Sears,
Tony Trabert,
Rafael Nadal		[54]
Grand Slam187788.9% (24–3) five set match recordStands alone
Grand Slam18773 consecutive Channel Slams, French Open + Wimbledon (1978–80) ^Stands alone[55]
Grand Slam1877Grand Slam title won (1978 French Open) with least games lost (32)Stands alone[56]
Wimbledon187792.73% (51–4) match win percentageStands alone[54]
Wimbledon187741 consecutive match winsStands alone[54]

Open Era records

  • These records were attained in the Open Era period of tennis from 1968.
  • Records in bold indicate peer-less achievements.
  • ^ Denotes consecutive streak.

Professional awards

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The Masters tournaments for 1977, 1979 and 1980 were actually held in January of the following year. In this table, however, the year of the tournament is listed for the preceding year.
  2. ↑ The existing Major champions Borg defeated were Guillermo Vilas (1978 French Open), Ilie Năstase (1976 Wimbledon), Jimmy Connors (1977 & 1978 Wimbledon), Roscoe Tanner (1979 Wimbledon), Vitas Gerulaitis (1980 French Open) and John McEnroe (1980 Wimbledon). These champions were competing on the tour at the same time, after Borg had defeated all 6 of them in Major finals, and not retired.

References

  1. ↑ Tennis magazine ranked Borg the second best male player of the period 1965–2005.
  2. ↑ "Bjorn Borg - Top 10 Men's Tennis Players of All Time". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  3. 1 2 Pears, Tim (5 June 2005). "When he was king". The Guardian. London.
  4. ↑ Douglas Robson (25 May 2006). "Borg still making the shots". USA Today.
  5. ↑ Champions: Bjorn Borg, a 1983 documentary covering the end of Borg's career
  6. ↑ "CNN.com Video". CNN.
  7. ↑ "Björn Borg är bäst av dem alla". DN.SE. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  8. ↑ Sam Pollak (28 December 1972). "Californian tires at end, loses to Sweden's Borg". The Miami News.
  9. ↑ Jim Martz (25 May 2008). "Orange Bowl Celebrates 60th Anniversary". www.usta.com. USTA.
  10. 1 2 John Barrett, ed. (1974). World of Tennis '74. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 330, 331. ISBN 9780362001686.
  11. ↑ John Barrett, ed. (1974). World of Tennis '74. London: Queen Anne. pp. 15–17, 30–32, 45–47. ISBN 978-0362001686.
  12. ↑ "ATP Singles Ranking". Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
  13. ↑ "Sports Whirl". The Virgin Islands Daily News. AP. 17 January 1974. p. 23 – via Google News Archive.
  14. ↑ John Barrett, ed. (1975). World of Tennis '75: a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 75–78. ISBN 9780362002171.
  15. ↑ "Borg Surprises Nastase for Title". Schenectady Gazette. 4 June 1974.
  16. ↑ "Tireless Borg halts Nastase for crown". St. Petersburg Times. 4 June 1974.
  17. ↑ "Borg's second French win". The Canberra Times. 49, (14, 094). 17 June 1975. p. 13 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ↑ "Davis Cup - Baghdatis breaks Borg's record in Europe Zone Group III". 3 Mar 2016.
  19. ↑ "W.C.T. Sues Borg and Colgate, Alleging a Breach of Contract". The New York Times. 4 February 1977.
  20. ↑ "Borg Being Sued". Ludington Daily News. 2 February 1977.
  21. ↑ Barry Lorge (13 April 1978). "Peace Still Eludes Men's Pro Tennis". The Washington Post.
  22. ↑ "Classic Matches: Borg v Gerulaitis", BBC Sport, 31 May 2004
  23. ↑ "Bjorn Borg wins thrilling final". The Canberra Times. 51, (14, 819). 4 July 1977. p. 14 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ↑ "Head 2 Head: Dick Stockton vs Bjorn Borg". ATP World Tour. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  25. ↑ "Hot Connors blisters Borg". Chicago Tribune. September 11, 1978.
  26. ↑ "Borg wins French Open". The Canberra Times. 54, (16, 329). 10 June 1980. p. 24 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. 1 2 "Aftonbladet sport: Århundradets Sport". Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 Sveriges Radio. "Klassiska referat: Tennis". Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Adams, Tim (7 January 2007). "'I can't explain except to say I wanted to play again. It was madness'". The Observer. London. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  30. ↑ "Index of /en". Bjornborg.com. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  31. ↑ "TENNIS Bjorn Borg weds in Bucharest". The Canberra Times. 54, (16, 374). 25 July 1980. p. 18 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ↑ "Hello!". us.hellomagazine.com. Hello! Magazine. 10 June 2002.
  33. ↑ "Leo Borg är Sveriges bästa 14-åring: "Riktigt intressant"". Aftonbladet. 9 January 2018.
  34. ↑ Campbell, Duncan (4 March 2006). "Borg trophies sale highlights aces and double faults of tennis stars". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  35. ↑ "Borg Bankruptcy Sought". The New York Times. 24 October 1996. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  36. ↑ "Borg to auction off Wimbledon trophies". Usatoday.com. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  37. ↑ "McEnroe fick Borg på andra tankar". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 28 March 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
  38. ↑ "Sports Personality: The winners". BBC Sport. 10 December 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  39. ↑ Esk, Johan (23 December 2014). "Björn Borg är bäst av dem alla". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  40. 1 2 Atkin, Ronald. "Wimbledon Legends – Bjorn Borg". Wimbledon.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  41. ↑ "Strokes for Agassi: He belongs among the 10 greatest ever", Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 September 2006
  42. ↑ "Top Stars of Tennis", Bud Collins, MSNBC
  43. ↑ "ESPN.com – Tennis – The Perfect Player". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  44. ↑ Bonnie DeSimoneArchive (26 May 2007). "Chris Evert owned Roland Garros like no other". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  45. ↑ Curry Kirkpatrick (6 May 1991). "Unbjorn". Vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  46. 1 2 Jonas Arnesen. "Borg ser tillbaka på sin tennisrevolution". SvD.se. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  47. ↑ Aanalys av bra spelares teknik – Slagproffset Retrieved 2 July 2015
  48. ↑ "Wimbledon legends: Bjorn Borg". BBC Sport. 31 May 2004. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
  49. 1 2 "Johan Esk: Han är solklar etta på 150-listan". DN.SE. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  50. 1 2 "Största ögonblicket i idrottshistorien..." Aftonbladet. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  51. ↑ Hodgkinson, Mark (25 October 2007). "Bjorn Borg: My life is perfect". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  52. ↑ Borg, Björn, and Eugene L. Scott. My Life and Game (1980), page 11
  53. ↑ "All time records excluding exhibitions and challengers". thetennisbase.com. The Tennis Base. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  54. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bjorn Borg Inductee". tennisfame.com. Tennis Hall Fame, Newport , USA. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  55. ↑ Newman, Paul. "A history of Paris-Wimbledon double". wimbledon.com. Lawn Tennis Association. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  56. ↑ Garcia, Gabriel. "All Time Records: Title Grand Slam Tournament Won With Least Games Lost". app.thetennisbase.com. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  57. ↑ "FedEx ATP Reliability Index – Winning percentage in Grand Slam matches". ATP World Tour. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  58. ↑ "Record Breakers". RolandGarros.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  59. ↑ "Wimbledon – Championships History". Wimbledon.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  60. 1 2 3 Peick, Sean (12 January 2010). "Roger Federer Not Quite Yet Greatest Champion in Records of Wimbledon History". NESN. Retrieved 20 June 2012. Borg has his own impressive list of Wimbledon achievements — five consecutive titles (a record shared with Federer) from 1976 to 1980 followed up by a loss in the 1981 final, 41 consecutive matches won (a record he holds himself) and a mind-boggling career record of 51–4 for a winning percentage of .927 (also a record).
  61. ↑ Lynch, Steven. "Ask Steven: Has anyone since Bjorn Borg won Wimbledon without losing a set?". espn.go.com. ESPN. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  62. ↑ "FedEx ATP Reliability Index – Winning percentage Versus top 10". ATP World Tour. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  63. ↑ "Bjorn Borg Player Profile – Activity". ITF Tennis. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  64. ↑ "Bjorn Borg Davis Cup Player Profile – Results". Davis Cup. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  65. ↑ "Comparison at the Age of 25". rogerfederer.com. Official Roger Federer Website. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  66. ↑ "Rafael Nadal – Career Highlights". ATP World Tour. Retrieved 14 June 2012. 2006 – Tied Borg with his 16th career teenage title in Rome, most in Open Era.

Bibliography

  • Borg, Björn (1975). The Björn Borg Story. Chicago: H. Regnery Co. ISBN 0-8092-8184-8.
  • Borg, Björn; Eugene L. Scott (1980). My Life and Game. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-283-98663-8.
  • John Barrett, editor, World of Tennis Yearbooks, London, from 1976 through 1983.
  • Michel Sutter, Vainqueurs Winners 1946–2003, Paris, 2003. Sutter has attempted to list all tournaments meeting his criteria for selection beginning with 1946 and ending in the fall of 1991. For each tournament, he has indicated the city, the date of the final, the winner, the runner-up, and the score of the final. A tournament is included in his list if: (1) the draw for the tournament included at least eight players (with a few exceptions, such as the Pepsi Grand Slam tournaments in the second half of the 1970s which included only players that had won a Grand Slam tournament); and (2) the level of the tournaments was at least equal to the present day challenger tournaments. Sutter's book is probably the most exhaustive source of tennis tournament information since World War II, even though some professional tournaments held before the start of the open era are missing. Later, Sutter issued a second edition of his book, with only the players, their wins, and years for the 1946 through 27 April 2003, period.

Video

  • The Wimbledon Collection – Legends of Wimbledon – Bjorn Borg Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: 21 September 2004, Run Time: 52 minutes, ASIN: B0002HODA4.
  • The Wimbledon Collection – The Classic Match – Borg vs. McEnroe 1981 Final Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: 21 September 2004, Run Time: 210 minutes, ASIN: B0002HODAE.
  • The Wimbledon Collection – The Classic Match – Borg vs. McEnroe 1980 Final Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: 21 September 2004, Run Time: 240 minutes; ASIN: B0002HOEK8.
  • Wimbledon Classic Match: Gerulaitis vs Borg Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: 31 October 2006, Run Time: 180 minutes, ASIN: B000ICLR8O.
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