Björn Borg

Björn Rune Borg (6 June, 1956) was a Swedish World No. 1 professional tennis player. Borg won 11 grand slam tournaments in his 9-year career, winning Wimbledon five successive times (1976-80), the first to do so since Laurie Doherty (1902-06), and won the French Open four times in a row and six times in all, an all-time record . Borg was not as successful in the U.S. Open, though, losing six times in the finals without a victory. Borg had 161 victories and 16 defeats in his professional career, for a 90 percent winning percentage, the best of any male player in history.

Borg was born in Sodertlje, Sweden, a suburb of Stockholm and started playing tennis when he was nine. At the age of 14, he left school and became the top-ranked junior player within a year. Borg won the Italian Open, his first major title, in 1974. He won the French Open soon after and helped Sweden win the Davis Cup in 1975; he also holds the only undefeated singles record in cup history (33-0). Borg was known for his speed, backcourt game, topspin groundstrokes, and mental strength. Throughout his career, Borg played a total of 62 tournaments before retiring in 1983. He attempted to return to professional tennis in the 1990s, but ultimately failed. He then retired for good but continued to play tennis in the senior tour.

See also

• Famous tennis players