Sutter has attempted to list all tournaments meeting his criteria for selection beginning with 1946 and ending in the fall of 1991.
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.
Björn Rune Borg (; born 6 June 1956) is a Swedish former world No.
However, the constant attention and pressure eventually caused burnout and his early retirement at the age of 26. ==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.
1 player in the world for 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980. 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.
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.
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. ==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.
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.
In the second half of 1973, he was runner-up in San Francisco, Stockholm and Buenos Aires and finished the year ranked No.
With these singles wins, Borg had won 19 consecutive Davis Cup singles rubbers since 1973.
Panatta did it twice: in the fourth round in 1973, and in the 1976 quarterfinals.
Borg did not drop a set during the tournament, a feat only he, Năstase (in 1973), and Rafael Nadal (in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020) have accomplished at the French Open during the open era.
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 consecutively at Wimbledon), but he never won the US Open despite four finals appearances.
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.
Borg also did not win the Australian Open, which he only played once in 1974 as a 17-year-old.
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.
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.
Borg won two singles and one doubles rubber in the 1975 Davis Cup final, as Sweden beat Czechoslovakia 3–2.
However, Borg never lost another Davis Cup singles rubber, and, by the end of his career, he had stretched that winning streak to 33. ===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.
Năstase later exclaimed, "We're playing tennis, he's playing something else." Borg also reached the final of the 1976 U.S.
Although he felt in good condition physically, he recognized that the relentless drive to win and defy tour organizers had begun to fade. Borg failed to win the US Open in nine tries, losing four finals, 1976 (the surface was clay that year) and 1978 to Jimmy Connors, and 1980 and 1981 to John McEnroe.
He couldn't stand losing." This mental approach changed by 1981, when he has said that when he lost the Wimbledon final "what shocked me was I wasn't even upset." ==Personal life== Borg and Romanian tennis pro Mariana Simionescu began their relationship in 1976 and married in Bucharest on 24 July 1980.
1 player in the world for 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980. 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.
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.
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. 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.
In the 1977 final Borg was pushed to five sets for the third time in the tournament, this time by Connors.
Prior to the 1977 US Open, Borg aggravated a shoulder injury while waterskiing with Vitas Gerulaitis.
1 player in the world for 1977.
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.
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=== The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
1 player in the world for 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980. 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.
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. 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.
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 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.
1 male tennis player in the world for 1978 by most tennis authorities. ===1979 – French and Wimbledon titles and year-end No.
Although he felt in good condition physically, he recognized that the relentless drive to win and defy tour organizers had begun to fade. Borg failed to win the US Open in nine tries, losing four finals, 1976 (the surface was clay that year) and 1978 to Jimmy Connors, and 1980 and 1981 to John McEnroe.
The surface was hard court from 1978 onward and Borg reached the final there on hard court on three occasions, in 1978, 1980 and 1981.
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 Meadows, lefty Tanner his conqueror in 1979. ===1982–91 – Retirement=== In 1982, Borg played only one tournament, losing to Yannick Noah in the quarterfinals of Monte Carlo in April.
1 player in the world for 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Meadows, lefty Tanner his conqueror in 1979. ===1982–91 – Retirement=== In 1982, Borg played only one tournament, losing to Yannick Noah in the quarterfinals of Monte Carlo in April.
Ilie Năstase once said about Borg, "We're playing tennis, and he's playing something else". Borg is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. 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.
He is the first male player to appear in French Open, Wimbledon and US Open finals in the same year three times (1978, 1980–81), a record surpassed by Federer who achieved the same in four consecutive years (2006–09).
1 player in the world for 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980. 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.
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.
At the season-ending Masters tournament in January 1980, Borg survived a close semifinal against McEnroe.
1 player in the world by most authorities. ===1980 – French and 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. 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.
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. 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 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.
Although he felt in good condition physically, he recognized that the relentless drive to win and defy tour organizers had begun to fade. Borg failed to win the US Open in nine tries, losing four finals, 1976 (the surface was clay that year) and 1978 to Jimmy Connors, and 1980 and 1981 to John McEnroe.
The surface was hard court from 1978 onward and Borg reached the final there on hard court 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 Meadows, lefty Tanner his conqueror in 1979. ===1982–91 – Retirement=== In 1982, Borg played only one tournament, losing to Yannick Noah in the quarterfinals of Monte Carlo in April.
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.
He couldn't stand losing." This mental approach changed by 1981, when he has said that when he lost the Wimbledon final "what shocked me was I wasn't even upset." ==Personal life== Borg and Romanian tennis pro Mariana Simionescu began their relationship in 1976 and married in Bucharest on 24 July 1980.
Together they have a son, Leo, born in 2003. He narrowly avoided personal bankruptcy when business ventures failed. ==Film== In 2017, Borg vs McEnroe, a biographical film focusing on the rivalry between Borg and McEnroe and the 1980 Wimbledon final, was released. ==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.
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 consecutively at Wimbledon), but he never won the US Open despite four finals appearances.
Borg did not lose another match at Wimbledon until 1981.
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 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.
1 player in the world by most tennis authorities. ===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.
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. Borg went on to lose to McEnroe at the 1981 US Open.
The 1981 US Open would be the Swede's last Grand Slam final.
Although he felt in good condition physically, he recognized that the relentless drive to win and defy tour organizers had begun to fade. Borg failed to win the US Open in nine tries, losing four finals, 1976 (the surface was clay that year) and 1978 to Jimmy Connors, and 1980 and 1981 to John McEnroe.
The surface was hard court from 1978 onward and Borg reached the final there on hard court on three occasions, in 1978, 1980 and 1981.
He couldn't stand losing." This mental approach changed by 1981, when he has said that when he lost the Wimbledon final "what shocked me was I wasn't even upset." ==Personal life== Borg and Romanian tennis pro Mariana Simionescu began their relationship in 1976 and married in Bucharest on 24 July 1980.
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.
Major tournaments and tour organizers were enforcing a new rule; by 1982, that players had to play at least 10 official tournaments per year.
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 Meadows, lefty Tanner his conqueror in 1979. ===1982–91 – Retirement=== 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.
He did, however, play Monte Carlo again in March 1983, reaching the second round, and Stuttgart in July 1984. 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.
He did, however, play Monte Carlo again in March 1983, reaching the second round, and Stuttgart in July 1984. 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.
The marriage ended in divorce in 1984.
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).
He fathered a child named Robin in 1985 with the Swedish model Jannike Björling, his son Robin had a daughter in 2014.
He was married to the Italian singer Loredana Bertè from 1989 to 1993.
In Sweden, his label has become very successful, second only to Calvin Klein. ===Failed comeback=== In 1991–1993, Borg attempted a comeback on the men's professional tennis tour, coached by Welsh karate expert Ron Thatcher.
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.
In his first nine matches, played in 1991 and 1992, Borg failed to win a single set.
Sutter has attempted to list all tournaments meeting his criteria for selection beginning with 1946 and ending in the fall of 1991.
In his first nine matches, played in 1991 and 1992, Borg failed to win a single set.
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.
He fared slightly better in 1993, taking a set off his opponent in each of the three matches he played.
He was married to the Italian singer Loredana Bertè from 1989 to 1993.
On 8 June 2002, Borg married his third wife, Patricia Östfeld.
Together they have a son, Leo, born in 2003. He narrowly avoided personal bankruptcy when business ventures failed. ==Film== In 2017, Borg vs McEnroe, a biographical film focusing on the rivalry between Borg and McEnroe and the 1980 Wimbledon final, was released. ==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.
And in 2003, Bud Collins chose Borg as one of his top-five male players of all time. In 2008, ESPN.com asked tennis analysts, writers, and former players to build the perfect open-era player.
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.
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.
Together they have a son, Leo, born in 2003. He narrowly avoided personal bankruptcy when business ventures failed. ==Film== In 2017, Borg vs McEnroe, a biographical film focusing on the rivalry between Borg and McEnroe and the 1980 Wimbledon final, was released. ==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.
Borg did not drop a set during the tournament, a feat only he, Năstase (in 1973), and Rafael Nadal (in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020) have accomplished at the French Open during the open era.
Again, he did not drop a set. 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.
The French Open—Wimbledon double he achieved three times consecutively was called by Wimbledon officials "the most difficult double in tennis" and "a feat considered impossible among today's players." 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.
And in 2003, Bud Collins chose Borg as one of his top-five male players of all time. In 2008, ESPN.com asked tennis analysts, writers, and former players to build the perfect open-era player.
The French Open—Wimbledon double he achieved three times consecutively was called by Wimbledon officials "the most difficult double in tennis" and "a feat considered impossible among today's players." 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.
Borg did not drop a set during the tournament, a feat only he, Năstase (in 1973), and Rafael Nadal (in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020) have accomplished at the French Open during the open era.
The French Open—Wimbledon double he achieved three times consecutively was called by Wimbledon officials "the most difficult double in tennis" and "a feat considered impossible among today's players." 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.
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.
He fathered a child named Robin in 1985 with the Swedish model Jannike Björling, his son Robin had a daughter in 2014.
Borg did not drop a set during the tournament, a feat only he, Năstase (in 1973), and Rafael Nadal (in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020) have accomplished at the French Open during the open era.
Together they have a son, Leo, born in 2003. He narrowly avoided personal bankruptcy when business ventures failed. ==Film== In 2017, Borg vs McEnroe, a biographical film focusing on the rivalry between Borg and McEnroe and the 1980 Wimbledon final, was released. ==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.
He was like Elvis or Liz Taylor or somebody." ==Laver Cup== From 22 to 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.
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 21 to 23 September 2018.
Borg did not drop a set during the tournament, a feat only he, Năstase (in 1973), and Rafael Nadal (in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020) have accomplished at the French Open during the open era.
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