Bjorn Borg says he will soon be revealing all the details about his shock retirement but for now can only share that he lost the motivation to play and didn’t feel like his focus was where it needed to be.
After becoming a Grand Slam champion at the 1974 French Open shortly after turning 18, it didn’t take long before the Swede established himself as one of the best and dominant players in the game. But after getting to 11 Major wins between 1974 and 1981, the former world No. 1 appeared in just two tournaments during the 1982 season. At that point, it seemed that something was off.
But no one was prepared for what happened in 1983 January, when Borg shocked the entire tennis world by announcing that he was walking away from pro tennis at the age of 26. At the time, the former five-time Wimbledon champion was one of the top athletes in all sports and it was unprecedented at the time to see such a major sporting name end his career so early without a major reason.
Even John McEnroe, whose rivalry with the Swede is one of the best in tennis history, tried to talk with him and see if he could change his mind – but it didn’t work out.
“I was very happy as a player, but the motivation was not there. If you don’t have the motivation to practice and compete every day, you can’t focus on what you do and what you need to do. I was happy, but I had no motivation and no focus. When I came back briefly, that was a different story. I’m writing a book. I’m going to tell everyone all about it next year,” the former six-time French Open winner told The Athletic.
Later, Borg did play one tournament in 1983 and another in 1984 – but he wasn’t really back. In 1991, the former world No. 1 returned to tennis and played for three more years but he never again won a title.
Bjorn Borg© YouTube screenshot
Borg on competing against McEnroe at the Laver Cup
During their careers, the Swede and the American met 14 times and four of those meetings came in Major finals. In the end, they split wins but it should be noted that McEnroe won three of their four Slam finals.
Following Borg’s first retirement from tennis, they never clashed again as the 1981 US Open final – which was won by the American – turned out to be the last time that they squared off.
However, seven years ago, the rivalry between the two was reignited but just in different circumstances after the 68-year-old Swede was named as captain of Team Europe while the former seven-time Slam champion got the same position with Team World.
But when this year’s Laver Cup starts on Friday, there will be new captains as Yannich Noah and Andre Agassi now hold those positions.
“It was one of the best seven years for me. The Laver Cup was always the most important week of the year. I had the opportunity to spend time with the best players in the world. The competition is fierce, everyone wants to win. For me it was fantastic and I am very proud and happy to have been the captain of Team Europe. I wish my successor all the best and lots of luck. I definitely had a lot of fun,” Borg told Tennis Magazin.
Borg: I have always had a good relationship with McEnroe
Borg and McEnroe may have been arch rivals on the court but they always had a great level or respect and appreciation for each other and that continued even after their tennis days were well over. For that reason, the 68-year-old absolutely loved the Laver Cup opportunity.
“John and I have always been very close friends. We met regularly, spoke on the phone or wrote to each other. The fact that we both became Laver Cup captains was great. That meant that we always saw each other during that week and exchanged a lot of information,” Borg said.
Also, the former 11-time Major champion was asked if there were any special memories to call.
“Maybe we remembered our active days. When you win big tournaments, especially Grand Slams, you obviously go out and celebrate. It’s the happiest moment of your life, something you’ve worked towards for years and sacrificed so much at a young age. You’ve trained and worked hard. You hope and dream that you’ll win a Grand Slam one day. And when you do that, it’s the best moment for any tennis player. Because not many people manage to win a major,” Borg explained.