Bjorn Borg: I’ve always been a private person

Bjorn Borg: I’ve always been a private person

Born in 1956 in the Swedish capital, Borg’s lifelong association with tennis began when his father won a full-size racket at a local table tennis tournament, which he gave to the young Borg.

By the age of 14, he had joined the professional tennis circuit, and just a few years later, had won the Italian Open at 17 and the French Open at just 18. Having risen to international prominence in 1975 when he helped Sweden win its first David Cup, Borg became a household name in the years that followed for his distinctive playing style that helped him win Wimbledon five times in a row.

At the peak of his playing career, his on-court rivalry with the American John McEnroe became the stuff of legend, with the pair’s 1980 Wimbledon final considered by many to be one of the greatest matches ever played. This was later immortalised in a 2017 movie.

After unexpectedly retiring in 1983, Borg struggled with life after tennis, battling alcohol and drug abuse. He subsequently returned to the sport in the early 1990s for a couple of years before hanging up his professional tennis racket for good.

He tells Tim Muffett about his journey to the very top of the sport, the challenges of stepping away, and his recent battle with prostate cancer.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Tim Muffett Producers: Ben Cooper, Nadia Dahabiyeh and Nick Smith Editor: Justine Lang

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Björn Borg of Sweden prepares to present the trophies on Court Philippe-Chatrie, Credit: Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

Jaksot(1844)

Omar Abdullah: Can he bring peace to Jammu and Kashmir?

Omar Abdullah: Can he bring peace to Jammu and Kashmir?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Omar Abdullah, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. This mountainous territory neighbouring Pakistan has long been a source of political tension and violence. Can the chief minister work with Delhi to find a pathway to peace and stability?

12 Helmi 22min

Dhananjaya Chandrachud: Justice and the rule of law

Dhananjaya Chandrachud: Justice and the rule of law

Stephen Sackur is in New Delhi for an exclusive interview with the recently retired Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court judge, Dhananjaya Chandrachud. With Indian politics dominated by Narendra Modi and the Hindu nationalist BJP, have the courts successfully protected the country’s secular constitution?

10 Helmi 22min

Hardeep Singh Puri: India's big ambitions

Hardeep Singh Puri: India's big ambitions

Stephen Sackur is in New Delhi to speak India’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri. India has big ambitions to be a global economic superpower. What does that mean for the country’s geopolitical alliances and commitment to decarbonisation?(Photo: Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas)

7 Helmi 22min

Basem Naim: Can Gaza find long-term peace?

Basem Naim: Can Gaza find long-term peace?

Sarah Montague speaks to Basem Naim, a senior political figure in Hamas. Its violence and hostage-taking on 7 October led to an overwhelming Israeli onslaught in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire is now in place, but how can long-term peace be achieved?

29 Tammi 22min

Mouaz Moustafa: Will Syrians get justice?

Mouaz Moustafa: Will Syrians get justice?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Mouaz Moustafa, founder of the US-based Syrian Emergency Task Force. He campaigned to bring the Assad regime to justice for its crimes. Now power is in new hands, will Syrians get justice for the dark past and freedom for a better future?

24 Tammi 22min

Ehud Olmert: This war must end now

Ehud Olmert: This war must end now

Stephen Sackur speaks to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He is a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and says only territorial compromise can save Israel from a grim future. But is his simply a voice in the political wilderness?

22 Tammi 22min

Vladimir Kara-Murza: Is Putin vulnerable?

Vladimir Kara-Murza: Is Putin vulnerable?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Vladimir Kara-Murza, the anti-Putin activist who was twice poisoned, then imprisoned in Russia. He was freed in a prisoner swap last summer, and is now lobbying the West to intensify the pressure on the Kremlin. But is there any reason to believe Putin is vulnerable?

15 Tammi 22min

Asif Kapadia: Pushing the boundaries of film-making

Asif Kapadia: Pushing the boundaries of film-making

Sarah Montague speaks to award-winning film-maker Asif Kapadia. His latest film 2073 combines science fiction with documentary to paint a bleak picture of our possible future: a world destroyed by climate change, authoritarian dictators and tech oligarchs. Why produce something so political now?(Photo: Asif Kapadia in the Hardtalk studio)

13 Tammi 22min

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