Borg on Managing Star Status: "If I went somewhere, I couldn’t be alone"

Jules Hypolite

le 26/04/2025 à 15h16

1 min to read

Borg

Björn Borg won eleven Grand Slam titles during his career and established a legendary rivalry with John McEnroe. But the Swede is also known for retiring very young, at the age of 26.

Present at the Madrid tournament, he gave an interview in which he briefly reflected on how he handled his global star status at the time:

"If I went somewhere, I couldn’t be alone. I had the media surrounding me, photographers… I couldn’t be myself. The only time I felt good was when I stepped onto the tennis court.

I was alone, no one bothered me. That gave me satisfaction. And as a Swede, I’m a private person, but it’s more important for me to have a life outside, to feel good. But I’m very satisfied and happy with what I achieved in the world of tennis."