43 Years After Schooling Superbrat John McEnroe With a Masterclass on Grass, 67YO Swedish Legend Revisits ‘Greatest Achievement’

There is no denying that Björn Borg was a formidable force during his heydays on the ATP Tour. During his illustrious journey, the Swedish tennis legend marked 11 Grand Slam triumphs while he also attained the world No. 1 stature. However, despite having a plethora of major accolades under his belt, it is a grass-court major title matchup that holds a special place in the heart of the Hall of Famer.

According to his recent revelations, the former world No. 1 considers his victory over his old adversary John McEnroe in the 1980 Wimbledon final to be his “greatest” accomplishment. Surprisingly, even his American rival regards it as his biggest win despite ending on the wrong side of the net.

Björn Borg gets candid about his greatest achievement on the court

A Grand Slam triumph, particularly the most prestigious Wimbledon title, is considered as the biggest feat in the sport. Even the former tennis ace, Björn Borg cherishes his grass-court major victory that he marked during his matchup against his fierce rival on the ATP Tour.

In a recent interview with the Globe and Mail, the 11-time singles Grand Slam champion was questioned about what he thought to be his greatest accomplishment. Borg said, “Except for my two sons, I’d say when I beat McEnroe in the 1980 Wimbledon final. That was one of the greatest matches and that meant a lot for me personally.”

In a five-set thriller 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6, it was the Swedish tennis icon who managed to overcome his fiercest rival in the men’s circuit. Even though the ‘Superbrat’ faced a heartbreaking defeat, he also considers the match to be his biggest victory.

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How did a title match defeat turn into his biggest win for the ‘Superbrat’?

During his speech at the Stanford commencement ceremony, the American tennis legend opened up about how his heartbreaking defeat against Borg turned into his biggest victory. It was the former South African president, Nelson Mandela, who changed John McEnroe’s point of view towards his 1980 Wimbledon championship match.

The non-violence freedom fighter was in prison finding a form of entertainment and relief by listening to the Borg-McEnroe’s grass-court title match encounter on the radio. After finding out about the same, the 7-time singles Grand Slam champion thought of it as his biggest “award” to provide a brief respite to Mandela during such an adverse phase.

What do you think of the ATP luminaries sharing a favorite matchup on the court? Let us know in the comments section.

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