Leo Borg gets a wild card in Stockholm???

[David Thomas]

I'm a big Bjorn Borg fan from the 70's, but I am surprised Leo got a wild card without playing in the qualifying rounds when he is 2000+ in the world. He plays Tommy Paul in the first round. I wonder how many games Leo will win. Tommy has been playing great tennis.

 

[James P]

Giving him a WC to the quallies is one thing, this is absurd.

 

[CyBorg]

Not surprised at all. This is a favour to Bjorn.

 

[Rosstour]

Giving him a WC to the quallies is one thing, this is absurd.

Maybe this puts all of Murray's 'undeserved' WCs in perspective?

 

[James P]

Professional record:

0-0 ATP Tour
0-2 ATP Tour Quallies
0-6 ATP Challenger Tour
1-7 "Futures" Tour

 

[BGod]

Lost 8 matches in a row. Pretty skeezy pander move for his father even though I'm sure Bjorn did not push it, the organizers clearly want cheap publicity. But I feel real bad for the kid because he'll have even more pressure on him. Honestly with his privileges at 18 I'm not seeing much progress to where he's even a Top 50 player. And that name won't help. Joe Montana had two songs play QB in college and I think both could have muddled around in the NFL but they didn't take it.

 

[ghostofMecir]

I'm a big Bjorn Borg fan from the 70's, but I am surprised Leo got a wild card without playing in the qualifying rounds when he is 2000+ in the world. He plays Tommy Paul in the first round. I wonder how many games Leo will win. Tommy has been playing great tennis.

It will be completely up to Paul whether he wants to double bagel him or not.

 

[Kralingen]

Saw him lose in a 3rd set tiebreak at the US Open in the first round this year. Nice Labor Day tie and a few people actually attended, likely seeing the Borg name.

Now would be a good time to mention that match was the US Open Juniors.

 

[Daniel Andrade]

Professional record:

0-0 ATP Tour
0-2 ATP Tour Quallies
0-6 ATP Challenger Tour
1-7 "Futures" Tour

why in quotes

 

[Fiero425]

Not surprised at all. This is a favour to Bjorn.

Bjorn will be in the stands to watch! Should be very nastalgic and a real event for the tournament even if Leo's slaughtered 0 & 0!

 

[James P]

why in quotes

They aren't called Futures anymore, but the new "World Tennis Tour" occupies the same spot that "Futures" did.

 

[Fiero425]

Saw him lose in a 3rd set tiebreak at the US Open in the first round this year. Nice Labor Day tie and a few people actually attended, likely seeing the Borg name.

Now would be a good time to mention that match was the US Open Juniors.

It might've been the same circus when Borg's 1st wife played and won a small tournament back in 1980; "game, set, match, & championship Mrs. Borg!"

 

[David Thomas]

I think the biggest difference between Borg and his son and most of the top players is their mental toughness. I hit with a guy who was on tour when Borg was a teenager. He said what amazed him most about Borg was his mental toughness. I see that mental toughness when I watch young Jannik Sinner play his matches.

 

[David Thomas]

I just saw the Stockholm results from 1973 when Borg was 17 years old. He made it to the finals and lost in a third set tiebreaker to Tom Gorman. Also, he had tight 3 set matches throughout the tournament against some top players to make it to the finals. I think Borg beat Jimmy Connors in the semis in 3 sets.That's quite amazing for a 17 year old.

 

[Rosstour]

I think the biggest difference between Borg and his son and most of the top players is their mental toughness. I hit with a guy who was on tour when Borg was a teenager. He said what amazed him most about Borg was his mental toughness. I see that mental toughness when I watch young Jannik Sinner play his matches.

I was right there with ya until I saw the Tiafoe match

 

[Tshooter]

Saw him lose in a 3rd set tiebreak at the US Open in the first round this year. Nice Labor Day tie and a few people actually attended, likely seeing the Borg name.

Now would be a good time to mention that match was the US Open Juniors.

I thought maybe his dad would be there for support. Wrong.

 

[Bartelby]

They are bringing back ABBA, so why not Borg?

 

[Fiero425]

They are bringing back ABBA, so why not Borg?

Did you say that because Colin Powell's funeral today played his fave, "Dancing Queen?"

 

[Bambooman]

Leo made a big mistake when he told his Dad that he "didn't know anything about tennis".

 

[Steve Huff]

I think the biggest difference between Borg and his son and most of the top players is their mental toughness. I hit with a guy who was on tour when Borg was a teenager. He said what amazed him most about Borg was his mental toughness. I see that mental toughness when I watch young Jannik Sinner play his matches.

I read an article about Borg, written by a contributing author (and pro player) to Tennis Magazine once. He was playing in the French Open and drew Borg for his 1st round match. After the match he said, "I was mentally ready. I was prepared to stay out there all day if I needed to. Unfortunately, Bjorn was ready to stay out there until next Thursday if he needed to."

 

[BeatlesFan]

That's quite amazing for a 17 year old.

This is high quality footage from 17 year old Borg. It proves he's 100 trillion times cooler (and effortlessly so) than pieces of garbage like Tsits or Zverev. Check out that he takes about 6 seconds between serves, no boring-ass time wasting from him.

 

[Bambooman]

Well there is no rallying or even returns for most serves so the pace can be quicker.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Well there is no rallying or even returns for most serves so the pace can be quicker.

Come on.... someone like Nadal could be serving/volleying on every point and he'd still take 30 seconds between every serve and towel off if the COVID rules weren't in place. Djokovic would still be bouncing the ball 18 times before every serve instead of Borg bouncing the ball once.

Embrace the greatness that was when there was no time wasting.

 

[Booger]

This is high quality footage from 17 year old Borg. It proves he's 100 trillion times cooler (and effortlessly so) than pieces of garbage like Tsits or Zverev. Check out that he takes about 6 seconds between serves, no boring-ass time wasting from him.

Holy smokes. No obnoxious grunting, no WTA shovel backhands, 6 seconds between serves, servers didn't pick through 6 balls, no full towel off between every point, no one camping behind the baseline to play defense only, no wild forehands trying set the topspin RPM record every shot, and before they tried to turn every surface into clay. Old timey tennis was awesome.

 

[Bambooman]

Translation: "I bet I could have been a pro back then".

 

[guanzishou]

Should we give the WC to Sir Moorray ?

 

[Fiero425]

Come on.... someone like Nadal could be serving/volleying on every point and he'd still take 30 seconds between every serve and towel off if the COVID rules weren't in place. Djokovic would still be bouncing the ball 18 times before every serve instead of Borg bouncing the ball once.

Embrace the greatness that was when there was no time wasting.

That's an Open Era phenomenon having to do with bouncing of the ball before a serve! In my opinion it was something taught to junior players to steady their nerves! As late as '74 USO, BJK didn't bounce the ball once! After a while it became a thing to bounce no more than 3 times before serving! That was my initiating into the serve since forever; 3 bounces and serve! It never changed in the 30 years of playing and teaching!

 

[Tshooter]

That's an Open Era phenomenon having to do with bouncing of the ball before a serve! In my opinion it was something taught to junior players to steady their nerves! As late as '74 USO, BJK didn't bounce the ball once! After a while it became a thing to bounce no more than 3 times before serving! That was my initiating into the serve since forever; 3 bounces and serve! It never changed in the 30 years of playing and teaching!

Some guy ruined it for everyone and started to bounce the ball 10x, 15x, sometimes more before every single serve.

 

[Shaolin]

Will be interesting to see how many points he wins total against Tommy Paul.

 

[Larry Duff]

MurrayGOAT would take him in a 4 hour classic with a 3rd set breaker.

 

[Fiero425]

Some guy ruined it for everyone and started to bounce the ball 10x, 15x, sometimes more before every single serve.

There was a male player who I swear bounced the ball 23 times before the 1st serve, then 8 before his 2nd! If I cared, I could probably find out the culprit; some "also-ran" in the top 30 back in the late 80's - 90's!

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Professional record:

0-0 ATP Tour
0-2 ATP Tour Quallies
0-6 ATP Challenger Tour
1-7 "Futures" Tour

Hey, that's an infinite % more wins than I have.

 

[Cage Rattler]

I watched Leo in final of a ITF Grade A in Cape Town about a week or so ago, his parents came out to watch too. Lost in the final rather easily to a very impressive 16 year old. Now that is a guy to keep an eye on.

 

[nolefam_2024]

This is high quality footage from 17 year old Borg. It proves he's 100 trillion times cooler (and effortlessly so) than pieces of garbage like Tsits or Zverev. Check out that he takes about 6 seconds between serves, no boring-ass time wasting from him.

Wow tennis was so slow then. I like today's version

 

[N01E]

This will be a slaughter

 

[Red Rick]

Saw him lose in a 3rd set tiebreak at the US Open in the first round this year. Nice Labor Day tie and a few people actually attended, likely seeing the Borg name.

Now would be a good time to mention that match was the US Open Juniors.

Leo Borg is what I imagine when a guy who wouldn't even be top 5 in the youth categories in the Netherlands throwing everything at a becoming a pro. Probably worse actually, cause he's probably had the best training from the get go.

 

[MurraysMetalHip]

Nepotism.

 

[-snake-]

Wow tennis was so slow then. I like today's version

Those matches look like the warmup rallies from this era

 

[Bambooman]

Those matches look like the warmup rallies from this era

Warm up rallies are actual rallies though. Borg could race back and forth for hours like players do today but hardly anyone else wanted to play like that back then.

Someone posted a good video from '81 versus Lendl and it looked quite modern.

 

[octobrina10]

Come on.... someone like Nadal could be serving/volleying on every point and he'd still take 30 seconds between every serve and towel off if the COVID rules weren't in place. Djokovic would still be bouncing the ball 18 times before every serve instead of Borg bouncing the ball once.

Embrace the greatness that was when there was no time wasting.

A player can't take more time between points than the shot clock allows, a Rafa basher.

 

[Goof]

I think the biggest difference between Borg and his son and most of the top players is their mental toughness. I hit with a guy who was on tour when Borg was a teenager. He said what amazed him most about Borg was his mental toughness. I see that mental toughness when I watch young Jannik Sinner play his matches.

Until the crowd cheers for the other guy.

 

[Visionary]

0-0 ATP Tour
0-2 ATP Tour Quallies
0-6 ATP Challenger Tour
1-7 "Futures" Tour

and he lost to a 16 year old Chinese kid in quarterfinal of junior GS (French Open I think) this year. ITF juniors number one Juncheng Shang beat Leo in two straight sets, if I am not mistaken.

 

[James P]

and he lost to a 16 year old Chinese kid in quarterfinal of junior GS (French Open I think) this year. ITF juniors number one Juncheng Shang beat Leo in two straight sets, if I am not mistaken.

That kid has gone on to win 3 of his first 4 professional ITF tournaments.

 

[big ted]

borg made swedish tennis, im sure theyd give bjorn a WC too if he wanted one lol

 

[Visionary]

Leo Borg is what I imagine when a guy who wouldn't even be top 5 in the youth categories in the Netherlands throwing everything at a becoming a pro. Probably worse actually, cause he's probably had the best training from the get go.

sucks to see a mediocre privileged kid get the best crack at the sport that so many talented and skillful kids have to work so hard and spend so much money on.

 

[Visionary]

I'd love to see the line up of some fine young Swedish talented tennis players who could've qualified for that WC just as Leo or better but my search engines aren't working well in China now

 

[-snake-]

Warm up rallies are actual rallies though. Borg could race back and forth for hours like players do today but hardly anyone else wanted to play like that back then.

Someone posted a good video from '81 versus Lendl and it looked quite modern.

Just a tongue in cheek comment, man. Lendl is a "modern" player compared to Borg and his wool pants era

 

[Adv. Edberg]

Yeah not sure why they gave him the WC tbh. Also why Mikael Ymer isn’t playing. He should’ve got it instead.
Leo is a great player, but he’ll never be top 500.

 

[travlerajm]

I’m always amused why people get so up-at-arms at wildcards being given out to popular players who will draw fans.

That’s the purpose of wildcards, to draw more fans. And the whole reason any pros out there make any money is because fans pay to watch. If it weren’t for wildcards, those other “more deserving” up-and-coming pros might have to quit the pro tour and become teaching pros.

 

[Fiero425]

I’m always amused why people get so up-at-arms at wildcards being given out to popular players who will draw fans.

That’s the purpose of wildcards, to draw more fans. And the whole reason any pros out there make any money is because fans pay to watch. If it weren’t for wildcards, those other “more deserving” up-and-coming pros might have to quit the pro tour and become teaching pros.

Well we can forgive the greedy promoters of tennis events, but if blame should be thrown around it's to the player who selfishly takes these WC's! Murray's not going to get much out of this but a farewell tour after being so unfortunate to be playing at the same time as Fedalovic!