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(1845)

Naomi Alderman: Apocalypse soon?

Naomi Alderman: Apocalypse soon?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the writer and computer game creator Naomi Alderman. Her latest novel - The Future - is a techno thriller set at the end of days. Is the apocalypse she imagines all too possible?

24 Tammi 202423min

Regina Ip: What is Hong Kong's future?

Regina Ip: What is Hong Kong's future?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Regina Ip, an influential pro-Beijing lawmaker in Hong Kong. For years China has been tightening its grip on the territory it took back from Britain. Pro-democracy activism, political opposition and press freedom have all been curtailed. So what is Hong Kong’s future?

22 Tammi 202423min

Mark Regev: Is Israel serving its own best interests?

Mark Regev: Is Israel serving its own best interests?

Stephen Sackur talks to Mark Regev, spokesman for Israel’s prime minister. Israel’s relentless military response to Hamas’s assault on 7 October has unleashed a humanitarian nightmare in Gaza. Is Israel’s strategy serving its own best interests?

18 Tammi 202422min

Mohammad Marandi: Is Middle East conflict what Iran really wants?

Mohammad Marandi: Is Middle East conflict what Iran really wants?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Mohammad Marandi, an Iranian academic who has advised his government during nuclear negotiations. Iran actively backs Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, but as the flashpoints in the Middle East multiply, is a regional war - with the US inevitably engaged - what Tehran really wants?

17 Tammi 202423min

Sir Nicholas Winton: A Holocaust hero

Sir Nicholas Winton: A Holocaust hero

Another chance to listen to Stephen Sackur's 2014 interview with the late Sir Nicholas Winton, the man who saved more than 600 mostly Jewish children from Nazi persecution. Nine years after his death, a major film has been released about his remarkable story. What motivated him?Image: Sir Nicholas Winton, pictured in 2015 (Credit: Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard via Getty Images)

12 Tammi 202423min

Alicia Kearns: How much will 2024 test the West?

Alicia Kearns: How much will 2024 test the West?

Stephen Sackur talks to Alicia Kearns, Conservative MP and chair of the UK’s House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. She has long warned of the threat to democracies posed by authoritarian regimes, led by China. With a host of elections looming, is 2024 going to severely test the West?

10 Tammi 202423min

Stephen Cave: Should we want to live forever?

Stephen Cave: Should we want to live forever?

Stephen Sackur speaks to philosopher Stephen Cave, director of the University of Cambridge Institute for Technology and Humanity. He is at the centre of a growing debate about the merits of extending human longevity. Is it wise to seek to live forever?

8 Tammi 202423min

Aida Touma-Sliman: What does war mean for Israel's Arab population?

Aida Touma-Sliman: What does war mean for Israel's Arab population?

What does the Gaza war mean for Israel’s Arab population? Stephen Sackur speaks to Israeli politician Aida Touma-Sliman, a Palestinian Arab member of Israel's parliament.

5 Tammi 202423min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
aikalisa
tervo-halme
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-podme-livebox
otetaan-yhdet
politbyroo
aihe
rikosmyytit
rss-terveisia-seelannista
linda-maria
rss-lets-talk-about-hair
rss-polikulaari-humanisti-vastaa-ja-muut-ts-podcastit
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
rss-50100-podcast
rss-kuka-mina-olen
rss-mikin-takana