John McEnroe made feelings clear in angry phone call to Wimbledon champ over sold trophies
Bjorn Borg was forced to buy back the five Wimbledon trophies he put up for sale in 2006 after being scolded during a phone call with long-time rival John McEnroe
The Swedish tennis legend won at SW19 on five occasions but decided to sell his coveted trophies out of a need for ‘financial security’. Borg became a star as a mere teenager as his rivalries with American greats McEnroe and Jimmy Connors captivated fans around the world.
His fantastic record of 11 Grand Slam titles included four consecutive French Open wins from 1978 to 1981 and winning Wimbledon five years in a row from 1976 until 1980.
Unfortunately, Borg ran into financial problems after retiring as a 26-year-old in 1983, with his company going bankrupt and the Swede being forced to sell his home.
And, in 2006, he made the decision to sell the five small replica trophies he won on Centre Court via auctioneers Bonhams. They were expected to fetch between $270,000 (£200,000) to $405,000 (£300,000).