It players
- Bjorn Borg, the icy Swede who revolutionized the game in the 1970s
Born in 1956, Bjorn Borg was a revolutionary champion who changed the game of tennis forever. His unprecedented stardom and his incredible success were the main reason why tennis became such a popular sport in the 1970s. His style of play, which included a heavy, arcing spin and a two-handed backhand, was revolutionary and would be copied around the world. His nickname “Ice Borg” reflected his attitude towards the court; he always seemed to be in control of his emotions.
Borg started playing tennis at the age of 9. At the age of 15, he was already a member of the Swedish Davis Cup team, and in his first appearance at the competition, he won the singles match against New Zealand’s Onni Parun. He turned professional the following year (1973) before he was even 17, and soon after he reached the final in Monte-Carlo, where he lost to Ili Nastase 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.
Borg’s dominance of the game began in 1974. when he won his first Grand Slam title at the age of 18 Roland Garrosbecoming the youngest French Open champion at the time. Only one player has ever managed to defeat Borg in Paris. Adriano Panatta of Italy, who beat him in 1973 and 1976. Otherwise, the Swede remained undefeated on the terre battue of Roland-Garros – where he triumphed six times (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981).
The Borg also proved themselves to be nearly invincible Wimbledonwhere he claimed five consecutive titles (1976-1980) until in 1981 John McEnroe became the first man to beat him at the All England Club since Arthur Ashe in 1975. Australian Open only once (1974), believed to be the only major title he never claimed was US Open: — where he finished runner-up four times (twice to Jimmy Connors in 1976 and 1978 and twice to McEnroe in 1980 and 1981).
The constant attention and pressure eventually caused the mercurial Swede to burn out, and he ended his professional career at the age of 26 with 11 Grand Slam titles. He had already won 64 tournaments and held the ATP World No. 1 ranking for 109 weeks.
- Alexander Volkov; “The Russian Henri Leconte” and a top-20 player
Alexander Volkov was born in 1967. He was a very talented left-hander, which earned him the nickname “Russian Henri Leconte”. She had her first remarkable result at Wimbledon in 1987, when the world number 503 crashed out of qualifying and into the fourth round. Volkov broke into the top 100 in 1988, and in 1989 he reached his first ATP final in Milan (losing to Boris Becker 6-1, 6-2). Two years later, at the same event, he won his maiden title (defeating Cristiano Carati 6-1, 7-5 in the final). In 1993, Volkov had the best Grand Slam performance of his career at the US Open, where he reached the semifinals (lost to Pete Sampras 6-3, 6-4, 6-2). In November 1993, he was number 17 in the world.
The placeKremlin Cup, Moscow Indoor Olympic Stadium
The Kremlin Cup men’s tournament was established in 1990. It was held on the indoor carpet of the Olympic Stadium, which was built to host the boxing and basketball events of the 1980 Olympics. Depending on its layout, it can accommodate between 10,000 and 30,000 spectators.
The factsBorg tries to come back equipped with a wooden racket
It’s rare that a player ranked 1,148 should garner much attention in the first round of an ATP tournament, but at the 1993 Kremlin Cup, that player was Borg. Since 1991, the Swedish legend has been trying to return to the game, equipped with his outdated wooden racket. By the early 1980s, mentally worn out, Borg had stunned the tennis world by retiring at the age of 26. He later explained that he felt something had snapped after the 1981 Wimbledon final. which he lost to McEnroe.
“I felt like I was a much better player that day. But I wasn’t very focused. And when I lost, it shocked me that I wasn’t even upset. It wasn’t me.”
– Bjorn Borg
In 1991, the six-time Roland Garros champion made an unexpected return to the Monte Carlo Open. He was handed a wild card, but out of form and playing with his old-fashioned wooden racket, he easily beat world number 52 Jordi Arese 6-2, 6-3. This seemingly crazy comeback by the first true tennis superstar baffled pundits who couldn’t understand what Borg was trying to achieve.
“I just wanted to play tennis again. I lived in Monte Carlo. I didn’t play any practices, no exhibitions, I just kind of showed up…. It was crazy, I knew it. I knew I wasn’t playing well. But I can’t explain it except to say I want to play. A year or two later, Jimmy Connors started the senior circuit. If they did, how would they? Monte Carlo.”
– Bjorn Borg, Guardian 2007
In 1992, the previously undefeated Borg went eight tournaments without winning a single set. In 1993, he played just twice: in San Francisco (lost to Jaime Oncins, world No. 46, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4) and in Zaragoza (lost to Joao Cunha-Silva, world No. 113, 6-1, 5-7, 7-5).
In Moscow, Borgi did not get a lucky draw as he faced world number 17 Volkov, a US Open semi-finalist, two months ago. Against the talented Russian, the Swede had perhaps his best match since the start of his comeback. He even earned a point in the final set tiebreaker, but eventually lost 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7).
This time at the press conference, Borg announced that this was his last meeting during the tour. this time he was successful, ending one of the strangest comeback attempts in sports history.
What next?Borg Joins Senior Tour; Volkov wins in Moscow in 1994
Volkov would retire from the Kremlin Cup without playing the second round, but in 1994 he would return and win the tournament, defeating Chuck Adams 6-2, 6-4 in the final. The left-hander would retire in 1998, and after helping Marat Safin win the US Open in 2000, he would briefly coach Russia’s Davis Cup team. Volkov died in 2019 at the age of 52.
Borg was a frequent player on the senior tour during the 1990s. In the 2000s, he once again confounded his peers by announcing that his Wimbledon trophies were up for auction. Many other tennis stars would react negatively to this announcement and eventually convince him to buy back his trophies. In 2017, he will appear on the court again as the captain of the European team at the Laver Cup.