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“My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories.”
- Bjorn Borg

Former world No. 1 and Swedish teen sensation Bjorn Borg brought fame, fortune, and much-needed publicity to tennis in the mid-70s, when he began to play. His long blond hair, smoldering good looks, and rock-star status elevated tennis in the hearts of teenaged girls, if not the media corps.

There was a rhythm, a dance in his cat-like movements along the baseline as he swayed back and forth, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, tensed, ready to pounce as his opponent hit the ball over the net—like a cat playing with a mouse.

Borg understood the necessity of being in shape, of being as strong at the end of matches as you were at the beginning. This athleticism allowed him to dictate matches and gave him five Wimbledon Championships and six French Open Titles, often won back-to-back. Borg was the author of the modern game built on talent, but bolstered by strength and endurance.

His reign on these natural surfaces highlighted his strengths: his speed, his endurance, and his reaction time. His arsenal included a wicked two-handed backhand with heavy topspin that aided his accuracy, as well as an underrated serve.

Perhaps his greatest attribute was his coolness under pressure. Because of his unflappable concentration, Borg was nicknamed the “iceman,” or “ice borg.” He never let anything or anyone take him out of his game.

On Wimbledon grass and Roland Garros clay Borg seemed invincible, but Borg had an Achilles heel: A game that fell flat-footed in New York at the U.S. Open. Bjorn Borg was a finalist in New York four times, but never won.

U.S. Open 1975 – Semifinal
U.S. Open 1976 – Finalist
U.S. Open 1978 – Finalist
U.S. Open 1979 – Quarterfinal
U.S. Open 1980 – Finalist
U.S. Open 1981 – Finalist

Why was this the case? What was it about the U.S. Open that stopped Borg dead in his tracks?

In 1976, a teenaged Borg played Jimmy Connors in the finals of the U.S. Open, which was then played on clay. Borg lost in four sets. 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11-9), 6-4.  It was the loss of the third set tiebreaker that turned the tide against Borg and gave Connors the incentive to slam the door on the youthful Swede.

In 1978, Connors once again found himself across the net from the ice man Borg in the finals of the U.S. Open. But this time Borg was totally outmatched and Connors shut out the lights early, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.  By now, the Open was being played on hard courts.

Between 1978-1980 the Swede reigned supreme and won 3 back-to-back doubles at the French Open and Wimbledon, paving the way for a sweep—a calendar year slam.

All Borg needed was to succeed at the U.S. Open and then journey down under to capture the Australian Open, which was then played in December instead of January.

In 1980, the Swede faced another loud-mouthed American, this time it was the up-and-coming John McEnroe—the same McEnroe who had taken him to five sets at Wimbledon earlier that summer.