Biographie by Steve Flink

BJORN BORG (Sweden)

Born Sodertalge, a suburb of Stockholm, 6 June, 1956; lives Monte Carlo; RH; 2HB; 5ft 1 lin; 1601; final 1983 ATP ranking 285 (262); career prize money at end 1982 $3,606,34 1.

Clearly one of the sport's all -time greats, he made his first significant international impact in 1972 when he won the Wimbledon Jun title, coming f rom 2-5 down fs to stop Mottram in f. Earlier that same year the stoic Swede had come back from 2 sets to 0 down to beat Parun in D Cup match. At 17, in 1973, he stunned Ashe at US Open en route to last 16. In 1974 he captured his first major titles - Italian Open just before his 18th birthday and French Open just after ¡t. He followed in 1975 with another victory at French Open, led Sweden to their first D Cup triumph in December, then won his first of five consecutive Wimbiedons in 1976, as weil as WCT Finais in Dallas. His one major titie of 1977 was Wimbiedon (Worid Team Tennis duty kept him out of French Open).

From 1978-1980 he achieved the incredible feat of winning French Open and Wimbiedon back-to-back, but in 1978 and 1980 his dream of GS was ruined by defeat in US Open f. Connors beat him in 1978 at Flushing Meadow and McEnroe narrowly stopped him in 1980. His marriage in Rumania, on 24 July, 1980 to Mariana Simionescu was one of the social events of the international year and by the season's end he had won his fifth Wimbiedon singles title, his fifth French Champs and a second successive Masters crown (Jan. 1980 and Jan. 1981). No longer wanting to play as much as he once did, he cut his schedule considerably in 1980 and played just 11 GP tournaments (of which he won6) plus 2 special events (which he won and Nations Cup, where Vilas beat him.

In 1981 Borg cut his schedule even further, playing only 9 GP tournaments and winning 3. By the autumn he felt burnt out and announced he would take a long break from the game, before preparing for Monte Carlo in April 1982. Yet ¡t was clear that onlymc nroe, his conqueror in the Wimbiedon and US Open finais, presented serious problems in major events as Borg his sixth French Open titie over Lendi and reached f of both Wimbledon and Flushing Meadow. In Jan. 1982 the Pro Council refused his request that he shouid not have to play 10 GP tournaments as weil as the 3 Grand Siam events. In 1982 he played in only two GP tournaments, losing both. At Monte Carlo Noah stopped him in qf after he werit through 3 qualifying matches and 2 in main draw. In that contest Borg garnered just three games. Then he went out in 2r qualifying at Las Vegas to Stockton and thereafter was seen only in exhibitions. Playing with inspiration on many occasions, he beat all of his foremost rivais in the special events and seemed ready to launch a big comeback in 1983. But during the Masters news leaked out that he had pulled out of all GP events except Monte Carlo, which would mark his retirement from the mainstream of the game. The next week Borg confirmed these facts. In 1983, he did indeed play only one GP event, fulfilling a commitment in his hometown of Monte Cado.

There he stopped Clerc in 1 r but lost 2r to Leconte. 0therw¡se, he diversified his interests, worked as a colour commentator for the American network NBC at the French Open and Wimbiedon, and stayed away from the game except for occasional exhibitions. 1983 HIGHLIGHTS - SINGLES: 2r Monte Carlo (d. Clerc 6-1 6-3, lost Leconte 7-6 fs). CAREER HIGHUGHTS - SINGLES: won 1976, seed 4, won tournament without loss of a set (d. Gottfried (seed 14] 6-2 6-2 7-5, Vilas (seed 6] 6-3 6-0 6-2, Tanner [seed 7] 6-3 9-8 6-4, Nastase [seed 3] 6-4 6-2 9-7), won 1977, seed 2 (d. Edmondson 3-6 7-9 6-2 6-4 6-1, Nastase [seed 616-0 8-6 6-3, Gerulaitis [seed 8] 6-4 3-6 6-3 3-6 8-6, Connors [seed 113-6 6-2 6-15-7 6-4), won 1978, seed 1 [d. Amaya 8-9 6-1 1-6 6-3 6-3, A. Mayer [seed 8] 7-5 6-4 6-3, Okker 6-4 6-4 6-4, Connors [seed 2] 6-2 6-2 6-3), won 1979, seed 1 (d. V. armitraj j 2-6 6-4 4-6 7-6 6-3, Ckker 6-2 6-1 6-3, Connors [seed 3] 6-2 6-3 6-2, Tanner [seed 516-7 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4), won 1980, seed 1 (d. G. Mayer [seed 617-5 6-3 7-5, Gott fried 6-2 4-6 6-2 6-0, McEnroe [seed 2] 1-6 7-5 6-3 6-7 8-6,'r/ú 1981 (d. Connors 0-6 4-6 6-3 6-0 6-4, lost McEnroe 4-6 7-6 7-6 6-4); French Opon - won 1974, seed 3 (d. Van Dillen 0-6 6-3 6-3 5-7 6~3, Ramirez [seed 9] 6-3 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-3, Solomon 6-4 2-6 6-2 6-1, Orantes 2-6 6-7 6-0 6-16-1), won 1975, seed 1 (d. Solomon [seed 5] 6-17-5 6-4, Panatta 6-4 1-6 7-5 6-4, Vilas [seed 3] 6-2 6-3 6-4), won 1978, seed 1 (d. Ramirez [seed 6] 6-3 6-3 6-0, Barazzutti [seed 7] 6-0 6-1 6-0, Vilas (seed 21 6-1 6-1 6-3), won 1979, seed 1 (d. Gildemeister 6-4 6-1 7-5, Gerulaitis (seed 416-2 6-16-0, Pecci 6-3 6-16-7 6-4), won 19W, seed 1 (d. Barazzutti 6-0 6-3 6-3, Solomon [seed 616-2 6-2 6-0, Gerulaitis [seed 5] 6-4 6-1 6-2), won 1981 (d. Taroczy, Pecci, Lendi 6-1 4-6 6-2 3-6 6-1); ftafién Opon - won 1974 (d. Orantes [seed 14] 6-2 7-5, Vilas 2-6 3-6 6-3 6-4 7-5, Nastase [seed 1] 6-3 6-4 6-2), won 1978, seed 1 (d. Solomon (seed 9] 6-2 6-1, Dibbs (seed 4] 6-4 6-4 6-0, Panatta 1-6 6-3 6-14-6 6-3); Masters- won 1979 (d. Connors 3-6 6-3 7-6 in rr, McEnroe 6-7 6-3 7-6 in sf, Gerulaitis 6-2 6-2 in f), won 1980 (d. Connors 6-4 6-7 6-4 in sf, Lendi 6-4 6-2 6-2 in f), rIu 1975 (d. Ashe 6-4 3-6 6-2 6-2, lost Nastase 6-2 6-2 6-1), rIu 1977 (d. Vilas 6-3 6-3, lost Connors 6-4 1-6 6-4); WCTFinals - won 1976 d. Vilas 1-6 6-1 7-5 6-1), ru 1974 (d. Kodes 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-2, lost Newcombe 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-2), riu 1979 (lost McEnroe 7-5 4-6 6-2 7-6); USPro Chomps - won 1974 (d. Kodes 7-6 6-0 1-6 2-6 7-6, Ckker 7-6 6-16-1), won 1975 (d. Vilas 6-3 6-4 6-2), won 1976 (d. Solomon 6-7 6-4 6-16-2); US Opon -riu 1976, seed 2 (d. J. Fillol 4-6 6-2 7-6, Gott:fried (seed 15] 6-7 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-2, Orantes [seed 6] 4-6 6-0 6-2 5-7 6-4, Nastase [seed 516-3 6-3 6-4, lost Connors [seed 1] 6-4 3-6 7-6 11-9 6-4), rIu 1978 seed 1 (d. Ramirez [seed 816-7 6-4 6-4 6-0, Gerulaitis [seed 4] 6-3 6-2 7-6, lost Connors [seed 2] 6-4 6-2 6-2), rtu 1980 seed 1 (d. Tanner [seed 1116-4 3-6 4-6 7-6 6-3, Kriek 4-6 4-6 6-1 6-16-1, lost McEnroe [seed 217-66-16-7 5-7 6-4)jIu 1981(d. Tanner7-66-3 6-7 7-6, Connors6-2 7-5 6-4, lost McEnroe 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-3).

An other biography by: Andre Christopher

AS John McEnroe Prepared to Serve, he glanced across the net at Bjorn Borg, almost in wonder. Borg had already lost seven match points to McEnroe-five in the fourth set tiebreaker-but he would not give in. "Losing that tíebreaker would have broken the spirit of most players," McEnroe said later Borg was not most players. Not only was he the coolest, most unemotíonal player, but by that summer day in 1980, Borg had already won five French Open singles titles, more than any man in the tournament's modern era. lf he could win this match, he would win his fifth consecutive Wimbledon singles title, something no man in the modern era of tennis had ever done. McEnroe served the ball to Borg's backhand and rushed to the net. Borg smacked the ball toward the middle of the Court. McEnroe hit a weak forehand volley and then watched as Borg ripped a backhand winner past him. Game. Set. Match. Borg dropped to his knees and leaned back, looking toward the sky. He had made tennis history. "l never knew how good he was going to be, but the possibility was there early for him to be the best ever," said Lennart Bergelin, Borg's coach. Borg did not plan to be a great tennis player when he was a boy growing up in Sodertalje, Sweden. "My first love was ice hockey," he said. But his father gave him a tennis racquet when he was nine years old, and two years later, Borg won his first tennis tournament. He dropped hockey and began playing tennis all the time, from morning to night.