John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg have played each other just 14 times in their careers, but within that three-year span (1978-1981), they managed to establish themselves as two of the biggest rivals in the history of the sport. Talking about their rivalry, in March 1981, World Tennis magazine ran a cover photo of McEnroe and Borg standing back to back, revolutionary-style guns pointed up, with the headline “McEnroe-Borg: Will Their Duels Become Legend?” From being fierce rivals, they became two of the closest friends on the Tour. Let’s take a look at their moments of camaraderie.
Talking about their playing styles, Bjorn Borg preferred to quietly stalk the baseline, swinging his two-handed backhand, while the left-handed John McEnroe was all about disruption, in his game and in his behavior. Speaking more on this, McEnroe once said, “We were the perfect yin and yang. You had someone who was naturally aggressive against someone who was a counterpuncher. Everything about us was totally different, the way we looked and the way we played.” Despite a stark difference in their playing styles, they have never failed to show their love and support for each other in thick and thin with the help of their unique camaraderie.
For example, in a recent interview with The Times, the five-time Wimbledon champion, Bjorn Borg, made a very interesting revelation. He said, “I was going to auction my trophies [in 2006], not because I needed the money but because I wanted to get rid of everything I received in tennis. That was not the right decision. John [McEnroe] called me several times and said, ‘You can’t sell your Wimbledon trophies. ‘ In the end, it cost me more money to buy them back — good move. John asks me all the time for underwear from my company, so over the years I’ve given him a lot.”
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Captains Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe enjoy a moment before the last match between Alexander Zverev of Team Europe and Milos Raonic of Team World during Day Three of the Laver Cup 2019 at Palexpo on September 22, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Laver Cup will see six players from the rest of the World competing against their counterparts from Europe. Team World is captained by John McEnroe and Team Europe is captained by Bjorn Borg. The tournament runs from September 20-22. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
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