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Tennis: After years of turmoil a legend comes full circle

Profile: Bjorn Borg

John Roberts
Saturday 29 November 1997 00:02 GMT
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Bjorn Borg, the winner of five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles, is due to play in Britain next week for the first time since losing his crown to John McEnroe in 1981. Borg's participation in the ATP Senior Tour of Champions event at the Royal Albert Hall revives piercing memories for his erstwhile agent and for his former coach.

Teeny-boppers at Wimbledon used to proffer their bras to Bjorn Borg. Nowadays he is in men's and women's underwear on Sloane Avenue. The Scandinavian scanties are among the remains of the Borg brand name empire.

"The underwear brand was one of the things I helped set up for him," recounted Peter Worth, Borg's former agent, "and it has gone from strength to strength.''

In a sense, Worth's business life has turned full circle since he was left to sort out the crumpled contracts after Borg announced his retirement in 1983, aged 26,

As the managing director of the Quintus Group on the King's Road, Worth is the tournament chairman for next week's Honda Challenge at the Royal Albert Hall, where Borg is due to play for the first time in these islands since losing the Wimbledon singles title to John McEnroe in 1981.

The irony of the situation is not lost on Worth's sense of humour, although his demeanour on the occasion Borg informed him of his decision to leave the sport probably rivalled a Japanese stockbroker last Monday.

Worth, assigned by Mark McCormack's International Management Group to take responsibility for Borg's affairs, had worked with the Swede for six years. The unsuspecting agent and his family were on a two-week skiing holiday at Val d'Isere in France. One evening, when the family were sitting down to dinner at their hotel, Worth was called to the telephone. He was puzzled, having told his secretary not to give anyone his number.

It was Borg. "Peter," he said, "I've decided to quit playing the circuit. My last tournament will be Monte Carlo in April, but that's the last one.''

Although Borg's refusal to commit himself to the required number of tour events in 1982 had resulted in the indignity of having to pre-qualify for tournaments, there had been no indication of early retirement.

"I don't understand, Bjorn," a shocked Worth said to his client. "You're only 26 and you've got at least another four years at the top.''

"It doesn't matter," Borg replied, "I've made my decision. I want you to talk with the others at IMG and take care of everything. But you're not to make any public announcements yet. We'll talk about that later. And remember, there's no use in trying to convince me to keep playing. I've made up my mind.''

The dialogue, which Worth acknowledges to be reasonably accurate, is taken from a book on Borg written by Lars Skarke, described on the jacket as a "firm friend". Skarke, who was IMG's Swedish representative, became a partner in the the ill-fated Bjorn Borg Design Group. Winner Loses All (Blake Publishing, 1993) is a lurid account of Borg's experiences away from the court.

Worth did endeavour to convince Borg to play on. "I spent a few months trying to persuade him." The response was always the same, "It's no use. I've made up my mind." The agent spent the next two years dealing with the implications of Borg's departure.

"He has said that he had thought about it for a couple years, but I don't know about that," Worth said. "It was a surprise to us. His contracts were subject to his playing tennis. There were no clauses relating to early retirement. We didn't conceive that would happen.''

Borg's career prize-money amounted to $3,609,896 (pounds 2.4m). In 1981 he had earned more than $4m from advertisements and in 1982, in spite of a reduced playing schedule, his revenue from advertising was around $3m. He had long-term agreements with Donnay rackets and Fila sportwear, with whom he put pinstripes back in fashion. He was told he would be sacrificing about $4m over the next year alone.

Borg and Worth eventually parted company. "He had had enough of me," Worth said. "We had been working together for nine years. He went his way and I went mine. From '85 to '94 we had no contact at all. Now he plays three or four events for me every year.

"I have no regrets. I had 10 great years with Mark McCormack. For some people it was business. For us it was excitement. Borg wasn't my only client." Among the others was Mats Wilander, Borg's successor as Sweden's leading player.

During what has been termed Borg's wilderness years, his personal life was often in greater turmoil than his business affairs. His first marriage, to Mariana Simionescu, the Romanian tennis player, foundered and they divorced (her settlement was reportedly $15m).

Borg had a son, Robin, by Jannike Bjorling, a children's nurse, and later developed a relationship with Loredana Berte, an Italian rock singer. In 1989, a few months before he was due to marry Berte, Borg was rushed to hospital in Milan to have his stomach pumped. His explanation (food poisoning and a few sleeping pills) conflicted with reports of a barbiturate overdose. Later that year Borg's design company was declared bankrupt.

In 1991, the 34-year-old Borg made an abortive comeback on the regular tour, encouraged by a British guru, "Professor" Ron Thatcher, and using a wooden Donnay against synthetic modern rackets, a catapult against Magnums. Loredana Berte, who married Borg in 1989, attempted suicide and the couple were divorced in 1993.

The senior tour, co-ordinated as never before, has rejuvenated the 41- year-old Borg, who is scheduled to renew his rivalry with McEnroe in London next Friday afternoon.

"Bjorn is in very good shape right now, and he moves very well," observed Lennart Bergelin, the Swedish coach who shared Borg's greatest triumphs. "Of course, if you put him with an enthusiastic youngster of 20 years old it is very difficult," Bergelin conceded, "but I'm sure he could give a lot of them a very good fight.''

It gladdens Bergelin to see his former pupil back among contemporaries after courting ridicule in the early '90s. "He had stopped for eight years, and it is nearly impossible to come up to the top level," Bergelin said. "Now he plays at the right level.''

Guided by Bergelin, Borg won the French Open title six times in addition to ruling Wimbledon for five years. Astonishingly, on three consecutive occasions the dedicated baseliner succeeded in mastering the speed of the Wimbledon courts directly after winning on the slow red clay of Paris.

Suspended for six months by the Swedish Tennis Association after misbehaving as a junior, thrown down steps after exasperating one of his early mentors, Borg developed prodigious powers of concentration and a topspin game honed by five or six hours of discipline per day on the practice court.

Bergelin was less surprised than most by the 1983 hiatus. "Bjorn was a little bit tired during the last year of his tennis. He had done too much fighting. He came up when he was 15 or 16 years old and was all the time in the final or winning.''

They have kept in touch. Both are involved with a German company, Ever- Court, specialising in tennis clinics. Bergelin travels extensively organising coaching for 30 to 60-year-olds at Club Aldiana resorts. "I am 72 and a half," he said, intercepting the question. "I have played tennis all my life, so I keep on.''

He expressed similar sentiments concerning Borg. "He's a tennis player. This is where he belongs. It is his life, what he does best, so why shouldn't he continue when he has the chance to do it?''

The view was reinforced when Bergelin visited last week's senior tour event in Frankfurt. "I didn't believe he could play such good tennis. He beat [Johan] Kriek in the final and [Henri] Leconte before that. His movement and his reactions started to come back, and he was really fast again, for nearly 42 years old. You will see the way he moves, quite fantastic.''

Borg and Bergelin were some team. "We are quite near in the way of thinking," Bergelin said. Not to mention the way of superstitions, the string section of finely tuned rackets that went ping in the night, the same old route to Wimbledon - even if it was the long way round - and Borg's not shaving for the duration of the tournament. "There is something in all that, you know," Bergelin laughed. "It's stupid... but why not?''

If nostalgia is contagious, the Albert Hall will be buzzing with veterans of teeny-bopper hysteria. "I think some people have forgotten what it was like," Peter Worth mused. "It was like the Beatles." For sure, they loved him, yeah, yeah, yeah.

THE BORG YEARS: FIVE CLASSIC WIMBLEDON VICTORIES

Bjorn Borg won the Wimbledon men's singles championship for five consecutive years (1976-80) and was unbeaten at the All England Club in 41 matches between 1 July 1975, when he lost to Arthur Ashe in the quarter- finals, and 4 July 1981, when he was relieved of the title by John McEnroe in the final, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. John Roberts reviews a selection of some of the finest moments of Borg's reign.

1976

Borg defeated Ilie Nastase, 6-4, 6-2, 9-7 in the final.

Borg's straight-sets victory against Nastase was the culmination of two weeks' domination of Wimbledon's grass courts, which were supposed to be too fast for the young Swede's baseline game. Seeded No 4, Borg approached the championships in his customary fashion, with two weeks' practice to adjust after months on the slow clay. Nastase, the No 3 seed, suffered along with the rest, starting with Britain's David Lloyd (6-3, 6-3, 6-1), as Borg's tour de force began with seven wins without the loss of a set. The Swede's other victims were Marty Riessen, Colin Dibley, Brian Gottfried, Guillermo Vilas and Roscoe Tanner.

1977

Borg defeated Vitas Gerulaitis, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 8-6 in the semi-finals.

Borg and his American friend Gerulaitis played for hours together on practice courts around the world and frequently engaged in exhibition matches. Although the athletic Gerulaitis won his share of those, he was never able to defeat Borg in a competitive singles match. Their duel for a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals was a classic, packed with spectacular winning shots and containing comparatively few errors. Both men were so familiar with their opponent's play that minds were read, moves were anticipated, shots were intercepted and the outcome was in doubt until the concluding shot.

1978

Borg defeated Jimmy Connors in the final, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

Connors once vowed to trail Borg to the ends of the earth, so strong was his determination to beat the Swede. The American came close in the 1977 final, Borg winning 6-4 in the fifth set, but was further away than ever in 1978. The biggest threat to Borg's hat-trick of titles came on the opening day. With the Centre Court slick, Borg faced the punishing serves of Victor Amaya, an imposing American left-hander. Amaya led by two sets to one and had a point for 4-1 in the fourth set. Borg prevailed.

Photographs 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980: Allsport 1978: Peter Cook/ Sunday Mirror

1979

Borg defeated Roscoe Tanner in the final 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Borg survived two crisis points in the fifth set against Tanner, a big- serving American left-hander. Having sampled Tanner's power and retrieved a two sets to one deficit, Borg found his advance to a fourth consecutive title under threat again when serving at 4-3, 15-40. The Swede's body language gave no hint of concern and he continued to go for his shots with characteristic confidence, erasing the break points. In the second round, Borg had experienced problems when playing Vijay Armritraj on Court No 1. The Indian led by two sets to one but was denied on several break point opportunities in the fourth set.

1980

Borg defeated John McEnroe in the final, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6.

The tie-break which decided the fourth set is celebrated as one of the most exciting passages in the history of the sport. During the 20-minute cameo, Borg had five championship points and saved six set points as McEnroe fought to level the contest. On the 34th point, Borg attempted a drop volley off a hard, topspin McEnroe return, and the ball fell off his racket. Borg subsequently lost the opening two points of the fifth set before banishing any doubts at 0-30 and winning all but one of his remaining service points to secure his fifth, and last, Wimbledon championship.

FACT FILE

Born: Sodertalje, Sweden, 6 June 1956.

Lives: Stockholm.

Height: 5ft 11in.

Weight: 11st 7lb.

Plays: Right-handed.

Turned pro: 1973.

Highest world ranking: No 1 (23 Aug 1977).

Career prize-money: $3,609,896 when first retired from the Tour in 1983.

Singles titles: 62.

Singles finals: 88.

Doubles titles: 4.

Doubles finals: 8.

Grand Slam singles titles: 11.

Grand Slam record

Australian Open singles:

Third round 1974 (only year played).

Singles won/lost record: 1-1

French Open singles titles: 6 (1974-75, 1978-81). Singles won/lost record: 49-2.

Wimbledon singles titles: 5 (1976-80).

Singles won/lost record: 51-4.

United States Open finalist: 4 (1976, 78, 80, 81).

Singles won/lost record: 40-9.

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