My life became such a circus I could’t live with” – interview with Bjorn Borg

interview with Bjorn Borg | Announcing his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 26 after winning five Wimbledon and six Roland Garros titles. A shock for rivals and fans. A relief for Bjorn Borg: “People asking me for photos and autographs was nice at first, but eventually it became unbearable. And that’s why I retired so young.”

“When I arrived at the hotel, there were 100 people waiting for me. When I went to a restaurant, I had 25 photographers all over me. I wanted to have a normal life. Today there still exist that excitement for champions, but they are much more protected. Whereas in my time it was really crazy and that was one of the decisive factors that made me throw in the towel,” says the Swedish tennis player.

Considered one of the most relevant figures in the history of tennis, he has been getting more involved in the public scene of the sport in the last five years thanks to his incorporation as captain of the European Laver Cup team, and also accompanying his son Leo Borg, who at 19 years of age competes in the Futures circuit and some Challengers.

This interview, originally published in French for Tennis Magazine, is a review of his best memories.

The conversation reveals little-explored anecdotes from Borg’s career. Like when John McEnroe was his ball boy in his first match as a pro, when he was disqualified for the bad behavior of his doubles partner Ion Tiriac, or how much he regrets playing a minor tournament instead of the French Open motivated by money. “I was nice to Vilas and let him win that year,” he jokes.

In English and Spanish, the full interview on CLAY.