Björn Borg was not immediately known for his wild temperament on the tennis court.
But in younger years there were other buns.
But everything changed – thanks to the ingenious tricks of the parents.
Björn Borg will always have a special place in the Swedish sports books. He remains one of our absolute greatest athletes of all time, and one of our most beloved, and it wasn’t just for his play that he became so popular. Borg was the safety and calm himself, and instead let the game do the talking.
Incredible career
And he did that well. Björn Borg won a whopping eleven Grand Slam titles from 1974 to 1981, and thus belongs to an elite group of tennis players throughout history. His five consecutive Wimbledon titles will never be forgotten, and from the year 1979 until 1981, he was world number one for 109 weeks. Björn Borg had everything that was needed, but above all the psyche.
Björn Borg was almost impossible to break down. As an opponent, there was no one worse to face, because Borg showed no signs of fatigue or frustration whatsoever, he just focused on the next blow, and his lowest level was almost frighteningly high. As the complete opposite, there was John McEnroe, who scolded everything and everyone, had total tantrums, and threw things. But Björn was actually like that too.
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The genius of the parents
Björn Borg’s parents were important to his success. They were the ones who always drove Björn to training and competitions, and who were always there. When Björn Borg had his big breakthrough, mother Margareta revealed that Björn, in his younger years, could be a monster out on the tennis court. But everything changed – with a simple threat.
Björn Borg always wanted his parents with him, and therefore he was forced to change.
– A few years ago, Björn could be hopeless on the tennis court. He screamed and lived and behaved badly. Then we told him we wouldn’t watch his matches anymore, as long as he kept going like that. And it took a bit of a turn, said Margareta.
The change, imposed by the parents, was beneficial to say the least – because after that it went quickly. Borg had a huge international breakthrough at a young age, and the rest is, as they say, history.
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