Players involved: Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg
- Jimmy Connors. a rising American star with a fiery temper
Jimmy Connors, born in 1952, was one of the most promising tennis stars to emerge in the early 1970s. Coached by his mother, Gloria, Connors was one of the first few players to hit the ball flat and mostly from the comfort of his own baseline. Picking up the ball early and hitting it quickly, Connors’ breakthrough technique would be highly influential for future generations of tennis players.
The brash American was already known for his outrageous behavior on the court and for disrupting the polite, refined world of tennis. As his mother and coach, Gloria, loudly cheered him on in the stands, yelling “Come on, Jimbo,” the confident southpaw showed unusual aggression, even in the way he carried himself during games.
Connors was downright rude at times, giving the umpire the finger or roughly putting his racquet between his legs. Constant quarrels with officials made him infamous. “Jimbo” turned pro in 1972 and was considered one of the top prospects in American tennis at the time, along with Harold Solomon and Roscoe Tanner. Within just two years of her professional debut, she had already won 16 titles and reached the quarterfinals of three Grand Slam tournaments.
- Bjorn Borg – the icy Swede who changed tennis in the 1970s
Björn Borg, born in 1956, started playing tennis at the age of nine. In 1972, at the age of 15, the skilled Swede was already a member of his country’s Davis Cup team and in his first competitive appearance, he won his first singles match against New Zealand’s Onni Parun.
Borg turned professional the following year in 1973, still not yet 17, and soon reached the final in Monte-Carlo, where he lost to Ili Nastase (6-4, 6-1, 6-2). In his debut performance Roland Garroshe reached the fourth round, defeated Adriano Panata (7-6, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6), and his first run Wimbledon took him to the quarterfinals. His playing style, which included a revolutionary topspin forehand driver and two-handed backhand, was revolutionary at the time and would be imitated by millions around the world.
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
The Stockholm Open Championship was held for the first time in 1969. It took place at the Kungliga Tennishallen stadium. The Stockholm Open, played annually on indoor courts, was a prestigious event and was won by tennis legends such as Stan Smith (1970, 1972) and Arthur Ashe (1971).
Facts: How two future legends wowed the crowd
In November 1973, despite their youth and relative inexperience, 21-year-old Jimmy Connors and 17-year-old Björn Borg were far from unknown to the general public. Both players had already achieved outstanding results at the highest level. Connors had victories against greats such as Stan Smith, while Borg had Davis Cup success as a 15-year-old. Each had enough credentials to qualify for the Stockholm Open.
In front of his home crowd, Borg defeated ATP World No. 1 Ili Nastase (6-2, 4-6, 7-5), and in the quarterfinals he defeated Roland-Garros runner-up Niki Pilic (7-5, 4-6, 7-5).
These two key wins allowed Borg to set up a semi-final clash against Connors. The young American who reached the quarterfinals of both Wimbledon and Wimbledon US Open:had not dropped a set on his way to the final four, even against the legendary Spaniard Manuel Oranteswhom he swept off the court, 6-2, 6-1.
In this first meeting between the two future legends, Borg won 6-3, 4-6, 7-6. And the crowd embraced the moment, and Borg’s success The New York Times“young Borg brought the crowd of 4,000 to their feet as he won the tiebreaker by seven points to two.”
What next? A long, epic rivalry
The next day, the Swedish teenager, who would later become known as Ice Borg, was defeated in the final by another American, Tom Gorman (6-3, 4-6, 7-6).
The semi-final meeting between Borg and Connors was the first of 32 meetings between these two tennis icons (although the ATP website only counts 23). Their rivalry would be enhanced not only by the great matches they played, but also by the contrast in their personalities, as Connors was one of the most expressive players in tennis history, while the mercurial Ice Borg always remained calm, cool and collected.
After Borg won their first meeting, Connors went on to beat him seven straight times, including the 1975 US Open semifinals and the 1976 US Open final. In fact, Borg wouldn’t beat the American again until January 1977 (6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in Boca Raton). One of their most famous matches would be the 1977 Wimbledon final, won by the Swede (3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4).
Borg and Connors would meet in four Grand Slam finals over the years, two at the US Open (both won by Connors in 1976 and 1978, once on clay at Forest Hills, once on hard court at Flushing Meadows), and twice on grass at Wimbledon, where the Swede always won in 1978 and in 1978.
Connors’ victories over Borg at the US Open would live on in history and infamy, as the Swedish legend would never win the tournament, even when he finally defeated Connors in the 1981 semifinals in New York, he would be defeated by another super brat, John McEnroe, in the final.
The last of their 32 meetings came in April 1983 in Tokyo, where Connors defeated the semi-retired Borg (6-3, 6-4). Despite the latest loss, the Borg would still finish with an 18-14 lifetime lead.