Borg said himself that Rafa is the best clay court player ever. He ought to know since he was the one who set the bar so high!
Borg was my first favorite player. I loved his game. He was always calm and cool on the court. I really appreciated that, especially in the era of Connors and McEnroe. He was like a machine and would get into endless rallies at the French Open. He could outlast anyone. His mental and physical strength was unreal.
But somehow it all broke down. I learned a lot watching the documentary: McEnroe/Borg: Fire and Ice. I never knew that he had all these rigid ways of doing things, like taking the same route to the tournament all the time, using the same chair and the same towels. He slept at the same temperature every night. But he seemed to just burn out.
I was devastated when he walked away from the game. I became a Lendl fan. But it was not the same. Not until I first saw Rafa play at the 2007 Wimbledon did I find my second favorite tennis player. He reminded me of Borg immediately. He was like the new generation, evolved version of Borg. It's been a crazy ride but I have loved every single minute of it.
They are both great and should be celebrated equally. But I think that Rafa has become the greatest clay court player ever by beating Borg's record of six titles at the French Open.
