It's so different from today's game.. But they were using wooden racquets, Every shots were fine and technical.. And it was difficult too.. Respect for these legends..
Without question one of the greatest grand slam finals ever, if not the greatest. I remember McEnroe calling it the greatest match he ever played, despite losing, years later. It was so much harder to play with those old rackets that gave so little power, had tiny sweet spots and were comically heavy compared to today.
@@loril6437 I just spotted McEnroe's racquet was a Wilson, one that I had own. I thought he was using Dunlop Maxply. Wonder how he plays now with modern racquets. BTW what forehand grip was he using?
I was thirteen when this match was played, woke up around 8am, flip on the TV and there's "Breakfast at Wimbledon," so I start watching. Most amazing match ever, particularly the tiebreak.
I was just 12, and with my father on a visit at patients of him..., and watching this match in another room next to the room they were... I will never forget!! The primary schoolyear 1979/80 had just ended. I watched other Wimbledon tournaments as well, I remember 2 tournaments at the ends of the primary school years 1976/77 en 1977/78, I was 9 and 10 then, watching Wimbledon at the house of the parents of my father at the new colour TV. From the ends of the schoolyears 1976/77 till 1980/81, from my 9th till my 13th, I always watched Wimbledon, except for the end of the schoolyear 1978/79, while my father and me were at another continent for his work. The Tour de France I watched from the ends of the schoolyears 1976/77 till 1982/83, from my 9th till my 15th.
Having just watched the "Borg vs. McEnroe" movie, I was compelled to come here and view the real thing...this was absolutely redemptive! It gave great credence to the movie while also expanding my mind (and thus my enjoyment) of this major moment in sports history. Thanks so much for condensing, consolidating and editing this piece of history for folks like me!
Me too. They were so much different and opposite in kind. Like the two poles. But they had one thing common in them, passion for tennis and grit. I watched the movie and realized at the end of the day,the only thing mattered was tennis..not the fame,not the ego,not the calmness,or the tantrums in the court. It's a shame I never watched them play live. I am way younger lol,born in 2000. But I have urge to watch the legends play in the 70s,80s and 90s. I was amazed to see the highlights of this match..I am a big fan of the game game since 2011..when I was 11. I also respect Borg's decision to retire at the age of 26. He probably always wanted to stay at number 1. Number 2 or number 100, didn't matter to him. That's why he decided to step out. There's no denying that we missed so much of him playing other legendary matches. But still,I am grateful this game had such a great player.
In his autobiography McEnroe wrote that he missed Borg greatly when he retired at 25; McEnroe played on, albeit with some breaks, until 1992. The two men have so much respect for each other.
I wished McEnroe's temper was so bad because there is a big contrast with the other side. He mellowed as he ages and is a lot more respectable. My friend have been to Australian Open and in the hotel lobby he saw many past champions hanging around and he had photos with them, who were our childhood heros.
@@moisesperez4659 I was being kind. 🤔 I actually thought about asking, what the sentence structure meant, as it was so badly worded. Despite my name, which is historical, some 140 years (or so) ago, I'm from Kensington and Chelsea; in London. Merely a hop, skip; and a jump from Wimbledon. Haven't lived there for years though. I've seen all the great tennis players; I regard myself most fortunate. Positivity is an American obsession, life is not as this overused hyperbole; actually is.
Absolutely the most awesome tennis match ever. Watching it now is just as exciting as seeing it live back in 1980. I was 17 years old then and remember it like it was yesterday. Such talent, endurance and strength. Borg by far is the best tennis player ever!
this was the day of serve and volley. the game was played based on the equipment and strings. Players played within their ability. Borg footwork and stokes shape the future of things to come.
The 1980 Wimbledon Final between Bjorn Borg & John McEnroe was the greatest tennis match ever played and one of the very best sporting events of all time. I still get goose bumps watching it again.
To me Borg was the coolest celebrity in the world at the time. No rock star, royal, artist or sportsman could come close to him in style, ability ,composure mystique and humility. Very different today.
Absolutely fake that comparison with nowadays. It's actually the same today, even with a higher level of tennis. Federer Nadal and Dkoko have always been genuine and fairplay guys
What a match to see in highlight again. So many years ago I watched it on TV. A memorable classic as MacEnroe fought the giant Bjorn Borg for the championship title. He almost had it, but in the end Bjorn won. These classics drew their audiences at Wimbledon and on TV like never before.
Obviously so many comments regarding how boring this is compared to modern tennis are all from mostly younger people brought up on said modern age. In this era, it was almost a completely different sport, and it is quite radical to see how much it has changed, I think for better and also for worse. Of course the glaring difference is the racquet technology; these guys had to adapt to the smaller heavier racquets, they were not playing with modern technology so the ball is not going to react the same way at all. Adaptation. These guys were still very gifted athletes and to call them slow or boring just because they weren’t slugging it out from the baseline for 20 shot rallies every point is, well, missing the “point”. Tennis is finesse, a masterful knowledge of physics, pace, timing , strategy, fitness and mental agility. Brute strength notwithstanding, these two guys and many others from that era were certainly brilliant athletes who ushered in the modern age of tennis.
Borg statistically was the greatest of all time. 27 grand slams played 16 finals and 11 titles . Only lost to Connors and McEnroe in finals . Holds records in tennis which will not be broken ever. All this at 25 years of age when he played his last grand slam .
Some people have a 10 minute sense of tennis history. Those players were masters with the racquet, wooden racquets, which required a lot of effort and out of the ordinary skill to play the shots they did. To people who understood the game, it was very tense and exciting. They WERE athletes, but they were not baseball players, unlike some today. It would help to read up, research the game of tennis, rather than make uninformed comparisons. Today, some players show that they will become something akin to cage fighters, which is not to be desired. Tennis about managing the ball, the geometry of the court, and racquet skill and timing. For ironmen, strongmen, people can go to the circus, etc. Technology made the racquets more powerful, so the players can play differently, but it also takes a big toll on the body and only the very great players can have a career without a lot of injuries. Look at many of the young, athletic players, and how many are injured frequently. That's the difference. Technology improved, and with it the game. But don't dismiss, just because it's not apparent to eyes used only to today's tennis, and skills required by those wielding the heavy wooden racquets,
Nicolas Martin I second that A pleasure to watch I've played serve volley and it's a blast It's like a break away in hockey over and over again So fun so challenging So tiring. When your serve and your volley is on. It's heaven. A little off ....... Your stranded on an island. Mac inspired me I could not thank him enough Unmatched talent and guts
marty dav I'll be on the courts with a100 balls working it Slice out wide and top to backhand And into body Spring is sprung. Can't wait. Man this is great tennis eh Edberg. Was close
@@briankelly5432 Yes Edberg was superb too. That whole movement of the serve out wide and the follow-up volley, particularly on the backhand side, was so sleekly elegant wasn't it.
What can never come again in replays is the absolute tension and drama of this match when played live. It was an true roller coaster of a match where both players won and lost it many times, so to speak! For me though (and I think Mac said the same) the fact Borg could lose all those match points then the tie break, go down 0-30 on his own serve in game 1 of the 5th and yet STILL win, was beyond incredible.
Lived through it but didn't recall it so this is a god send. I modelled my play on Johnny Mac and still do...angry with myself. Have a large poster signed shot I took of him that won a competition. Met him, he signed it at Queens. Legend...present day tennis doesn't come close to this...
I think this sentiment is slightly exaggerated. They may not serve and volley very often, but any top player will come to the net and volley when the opportunity presents. I mean, for example, Federer went to the net on 65 points in the 2019 final.
I find this way more interesting to watch than today's tennis. It was more like art, while today it's all about strength. Even strawberries and cream tasted more natural back then 😆
Vous êtes sûr ? Je ne le reconnais pas. Quand on voit ce match, par exemple, on se rend compte qu'il était très difficile d'enchaîner une série de revers avec une raquette en bois, sans compter le service (elles étaient très lourdes) .
42 years afrer and this match remains so beatiful, wonderful and exciting. I get nervous all the times that I watch this match. Sometimes I think or I wait that something can be different during the match and I watch until the last point!
I don't understand a lot of the negative comments on this one. As a fellow player who grew up seeing a lot of the newer guys, watching this is a breath of fresh air. Sure, the athleticism and power of today totally eclipses these matches, but who cares? These two guys are digging deep and creating one hell of a game. It's nice to see these core concepts of tennis play and strategy battle between one another.
the power of today's game is aided by these super racquets. A lot less skill is required to play today than was required with the wooden racquets of the 80's and prior
Godly Br0s I disagree. Players today are not better athletes. Not at all. The only difference is the tennis racquets which are like cannon rockets. Borg era, they were easily just as athletic if not more so. and playing with wood racquets and not so great tennis shoes slower surfaces and slower tennis balls
Godly Br0s I disagree. Today's players are not better players, nor are they better athletes. The racquets changed the game, and players adapted to become more specialized. Like machines hitting 120 mph balls. It is boring. I lost interest a long time ago when the game became a power slug fest. No nuance, no style. Put any of today's best agains Borg or Johnny Mac in their prime with rackets from the 70s and I'd bet on the 'old' guys.
For all those naysayers slagging off Borg, he was also excellent at Table Tennis and Ice Hockey, so he did have a good level of fitness. He could have competed with the best of today easily because he would have upped his fitness levels to match, if he had to. 😏
What mental toughness to lose that tie break and not lose your composure from Borg. Possibly the toughest mentally of any player in the history of tennis. He won a lot of matches with his mind as much as his skill.
Hhahahhaha back then nearly everybody hated McEnroe in Europe because of the nice icecold Swede, never show any emotion on court :D Loved his playing and watched it life ... what a sunday afternoon THRILLER for hours... One of the 5 best games i ever watched in Tennis...and i watched a lot... John McEnroe had a personality we never forget, he was a great guy!
I was there! It took more than four hours, standing. After the game my leg was shaking and McEnroe became my hero! It was my first time to watch a tennis game and how lucky I was.!
Nowadays the big 3 of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal win 80% of the GS,s and have dominated for a decade. In the 70,s and 80,s there were more elite players like Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Edberg, Chang to compete for the Grand Slams. Just because Roger, Rafa and Novak have won more doesn't mean they are better.
Borg, one of the greatest players in history, who knows how many majors he would have won if he hadn’t retired early. This was before serve and volley ruined the game. Also, the racquet heads became so large that the margin of error was greatly reduced.
@jeremypearson6852. Serve-and-volley did NOT "ruin" the game of tennis! Tennis needs a diversity of playing styles in order to be a compelling spectacle! Rather it is the deplorable changes in the game (i.e., the lubricated strings, larger Type3 tennis ball, harder Type1 tennis ball, slowed-down courts, the abandonnent of the fast court surfaces such as the DecoTurf2 hard court surface at the U.S. Open and the lightening fast, indoor supreme court carpet surface and the change in the composition of the grass courts at Wimbledon in 2001) which have, along with the colossal mistake made in the mid/late 1970's-early 1980's of allowing graphite rackets to replace the small-headed wood and metal rackets (which was real tennis) that have turned the once beautiful game of tennis into a totally boring, unending, one-dimensional, war-of-attrition, wonderful cure for insomnia, baseline slugfest that have ruined the game!
WATCHING THESE TWO 20TH CENTURY TENNIS LEGENDS AND WATCHING THE LIKES OF RAFA NADAL , FEDERER, DJOKOVIC LEGENDS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY AND NOW RECENTLY THE FOLLOWING GENERATIONS LIKE THE AMAZING CARLOS ALCARAZ TELLS ME THAT TENNIS IS A GAME IN CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION, I LOVE THIS GAME!!❤
I remember watching this real time and it wore me out. Borg chocked IMO even though he won. Unfortunately JMAC became Borgs kryptonite and Borg was never the same. The most talented of his time but didn't have the heart of many others of his generation. It's crazy but tennis was actually as popular as any sport back then unlike today.
As a Borg fan, I recall feeling sad even though he won. McEnroe showed him it was gonna be over for him the next year. And, it was. It broke Borg. Or, certainly rattled him enough to sow a great deal of doubt.
Yes I was 13 years old as well! I was watching live on TV for the first time! Back then in India hardly anything was shown live. I truly believe that this was the greatest tennis match ever surpassing Federer Nadal Wimbledon 2008 though I am a big fan of Federer and this era of tennis.
A line cord judge, white balls, wooden racquets, the players not towelling themselves down after every point, not challenging every call and no Hawkeye... ah, the good old days.
So in the movie trailer, Borg is called the "baseliner" (McEnroe being the "net-rusher") Yeah, I guess that's cause Borg didn't rush the net EVERY point.
hyena131 I guess Yep. Your serve and volley or other . For a baseliner , Borg does come to the net quite often I played at a quite low level serve volley tennis Almost every serve first and second To the net Period. Now , that's where the rubber hits the road And the true meaning of. Tennis anyone ? Comes to the fore Total blast An absolute physical and mental challenge and not for me the faint of heart When your on Pure heaven The serve and or volley a little off Your alone on an island in the pouring rain
They were so much different and opposite in kind. Like the two poles. But they had one thing common in them, passion for tennis and grit. I watched the movie and realized at the end of the day,the only thing mattered was tennis..not the fame,not the ego,not the calmness,or the tantrums in the court. It's a shame I never watched them play live. I am way younger lol,born in 2000. But I have urge to watch the legends play in the 70s,80s and 90s. I was amazed to see the highlights of this match..I am a big fan of the game game since 2011..when I was 11. I also respect Borg's decision to retire at the age of 26. He probably always wanted to stay at number 1. Number 2 or number 100, didn't matter to him. That's why he decided to step out. There's no denying that we missed so much of him playing other legendary matches. But still,I am grateful this game had such a great player.
Im 57 now and can serve harder with the new raquets than i could when 26 and using the metal wilson that connors used For me imagine hitting the ball with a small frying pan then try one of todays raquets it is a totally different game
A little bit of historical perspective. Borg was the first to hit the forehand with an open stance and against the conventional wisdom of playing sideways and with the left food firmly leading. The template that he laid on the forehand can be seen today in every player and most notably in Federer.
I just finished watching the film Borg vs Mcenroe, it's really good! Not sure how much of it is true, but it's such a great homage to this epic battle. That tie break was insane.
Mac didn't like it, said much was inaccurate. But I wonder if what he really disliked was Shia's portrayal of him... to me he lacked the depth and resemblance that Borg's actor had, and was short! 😆 (McEnroe & Borg actually same height 5'11")
What an era for tennis ! Borg v McEnroe . Mr. Cool v Mr. Bombastic. Fila v Tacchini. Diadora Gold Elites v Nike Wimbledons. It was such a brilliant time !
When Borg retired in '82 it looked like he just couldn't stand the thought of losing to McEnroe again. Could have been he was burned out or McEnroe figured him out and that disheartened him. Who knows.......but retiring at 25 is unheard of by today's stars.
It's so different from today's game.. But they were using wooden racquets, Every shots were fine and technical.. And it was difficult too.. Respect for these legends..
Maybe the game should return to wooden racquets to make play more graceful.
Yes I agree it’s exactly my thought
Today is more of a power game
@@ajs41 Maybe second service should not exist anymore.
Those were the days, a Borg McEnroe final used to be a dream come true for any tennis fan and this was an epic, anybody's match.
Golden age of commentary......doesnt get much better than this!
king Borg in his palace battling his greatest rival, putting the game in another level, what a time in tennis history!
The hair, the headbands, the track jackets, the short shorts... it’s perfect.
Disgusting actually
Yes
And playing near the middle or near the net, it's was like a different type of tennis back then 😃
@@immortalwarriors10 , look in the mirror and see the degree of a "disgusting" moron.
Yes, even hippies played tennis then 😂
Without question one of the greatest grand slam finals ever, if not the greatest. I remember McEnroe calling it the greatest match he ever played, despite losing, years later. It was so much harder to play with those old rackets that gave so little power, had tiny sweet spots and were comically heavy compared to today.
There were all kinds of racquets. Wood wilson were cheap . Connors used wood
@@loril6437 Connors used a metal racquet.
@@josephmanno4514 not in the 70's
@@loril6437 I just spotted McEnroe's racquet was a Wilson, one that I had own. I thought he was using Dunlop Maxply. Wonder how he plays now with modern racquets. BTW what forehand grip was he using?
Ya it’s not even really the same game with those old wooden rackets. Almost no room for error, less power and heavier
I get nervous watching those points, 38 years later, amazing!
This is a timeless match full of emotions and suspence, the best in history of tennis!
40 now (Covid era 😟) and counting.
I was thirteen when this match was played, woke up around 8am, flip on the TV and there's "Breakfast at Wimbledon," so I start watching. Most amazing match ever, particularly the tiebreak.
I was just 12, and with my father on a visit at patients of him..., and watching this match in another room next to the room they were... I will never forget!! The primary schoolyear 1979/80 had just ended. I watched other Wimbledon tournaments as well, I remember 2 tournaments at the ends of the primary school years 1976/77 en 1977/78, I was 9 and 10 then, watching Wimbledon at the house of the parents of my father at the new colour TV. From the ends of the schoolyears 1976/77 till 1980/81, from my 9th till my 13th, I always watched Wimbledon, except for the end of the schoolyear 1978/79, while my father and me were at another continent for his work. The Tour de France I watched from the ends of the schoolyears 1976/77 till 1982/83, from my 9th till my 15th.
Having just watched the "Borg vs. McEnroe" movie, I was compelled to come here and view the real thing...this was absolutely redemptive! It gave great credence to the movie while also expanding my mind (and thus my enjoyment) of this major moment in sports history. Thanks so much for condensing, consolidating and editing this piece of history for folks like me!
Me too. They were so much different and opposite in kind. Like the two poles. But they had one thing common in them, passion for tennis and grit.
I watched the movie and realized at the end of the day,the only thing mattered was tennis..not the fame,not the ego,not the calmness,or the tantrums in the court.
It's a shame I never watched them play live. I am way younger lol,born in 2000. But I have urge to watch the legends play in the 70s,80s and 90s. I was amazed to see the highlights of this match..I am a big fan of the game game since 2011..when I was 11.
I also respect Borg's decision to retire at the age of 26. He probably always wanted to stay at number 1. Number 2 or number 100, didn't matter to him. That's why he decided to step out. There's no denying that we missed so much of him playing other legendary matches. But still,I am grateful this game had such a great player.
In his autobiography McEnroe wrote that he missed Borg greatly when he retired at 25; McEnroe played on, albeit with some breaks, until 1992. The two men have so much respect for each other.
I wished McEnroe's temper was so bad because there is a big contrast with the other side. He mellowed as he ages and is a lot more respectable. My friend have been to Australian Open and in the hotel lobby he saw many past champions hanging around and he had photos with them, who were our childhood heros.
@@Woodland26Okay but the story is about Wimbledon
@@steffanhoffmannnice comment. Love the positivity.
@@moisesperez4659 I was being kind. 🤔
I actually thought about asking, what the sentence structure meant, as it was so badly worded.
Despite my name, which is historical, some 140 years (or so) ago, I'm from Kensington and Chelsea; in London.
Merely a hop, skip; and a jump from Wimbledon.
Haven't lived there for years though.
I've seen all the great tennis players; I regard myself most fortunate.
Positivity is an American obsession, life is not as this overused hyperbole; actually is.
@@moisesperez4659 Yeah, it was a very rude comment.
Absolutely the most awesome tennis match ever. Watching it now is just as exciting as seeing it live back in 1980. I was 17 years old then and remember it like it was yesterday. Such talent, endurance and strength. Borg by far is the best tennis player ever!
The best tennis match of all times. Borg, In his best years of sporting activity, was an insuperable wall.
The greatest wimbleton match of all time Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe.
this was the day of serve and volley. the game was played based on the equipment and strings. Players played within their ability. Borg footwork and stokes shape the future of things to come.
I always liked Borg, he was always so cool. Great champion.
The 1980 Wimbledon Final between Bjorn Borg & John McEnroe was the greatest tennis match ever played and one of the very best sporting events of all time. I still get goose bumps watching it again.
It's up there with Secretariat's Belmont win.
@@johnny-r It sure is but I have to give the edge to Secretariat - 30 lengths.
@@SuperPrince1007 Yeah - Secretariat didn't need any tiebreakers.
To me Borg was the coolest celebrity in the world at the time. No rock star, royal, artist or sportsman could come close to him in style, ability ,composure mystique and humility. Very different today.
He was in a league of his own. No one else compares. Simply the best.
I agree. But to come close, in this period and in these terms - perhaps Niki Lauda?
@@greg-warsaw4708 great mention :D
One of the best players ever but definitely the coolest.
Absolutely fake that comparison with nowadays. It's actually the same today, even with a higher level of tennis. Federer Nadal and Dkoko have always been genuine and fairplay guys
What a match to see in highlight again. So many years ago I watched it on TV. A memorable classic as MacEnroe fought the giant Bjorn Borg for the championship title. He almost had it, but in the end Bjorn won. These classics drew their audiences at Wimbledon and on TV like never before.
Tv early era. Remember no remote and barely anyone want to change it because it was so far at front
I was 17 yrs when I watched this match live . Amazing and best match ever I saw. Borg temperament is just superb. One has to learn this in life 🙌 also
I was 18 yrs and had Borg's poster on my bedroom wall.
The match is the greatest of all time
They made a movie out of this. That movie is awesome too!
The thought that someone would do a movie about any of today´s players is laughable.
This was magic!!! The best match ever👏👏👏👏
wonderful game! I was there! my cheering was all for the genius Mcenroe !!!!
Obviously so many comments regarding how boring this is compared to modern tennis are all from mostly younger people brought up on said modern age. In this era, it was almost a completely different sport, and it is quite radical to see how much it has changed, I think for better and also for worse. Of course the glaring difference is the racquet technology; these guys had to adapt to the smaller heavier racquets, they were not playing with modern technology so the ball is not going to react the same way at all. Adaptation. These guys were still very gifted athletes and to call them slow or boring just because they weren’t slugging it out from the baseline for 20 shot rallies every point is, well, missing the “point”. Tennis is finesse, a masterful knowledge of physics, pace, timing , strategy, fitness and mental agility. Brute strength notwithstanding, these two guys and many others from that era were certainly brilliant athletes who ushered in the modern age of tennis.
Tennis was a different game with the wooden rackets.
Drackkor absolutely
yes
And with white ball. :(
once i saw light green balls for first time after white balls i really liked those, but now i miss white balls
@@sinan19000 they changed the ball for TV
I agree. The best March ever. I think Borg and MAC are the greatest. They played in a 3 slam era and Borg won 11 grand slams by the age of 26.
Daniel Platt, by the age of 25
Also worth adding in his playing days he rarely played the Aussie Open.
I am pretty sure Borg was 25 when he won his last slam - it was aged 26 that he retired.
Eddie Ingalls why did he retire so early? Sorry newbie
@@MCee97 He lost motivation
Borg statistically was the greatest of all time. 27 grand slams played 16 finals and 11 titles . Only lost to Connors and McEnroe in finals . Holds records in tennis which will not be broken ever. All this at 25 years of age when he played his last grand slam .
Two greatest players of all time: Bjorn Borg and Novak Djokovic.
@@pripegalapobedonosni2847 Borg yes but not the what his name
Statistically, Borg and Djokovic are the best ever.
@@pripegalapobedonosni2847 Djokovic is much older, cannot compare.
@@pripegalapobedonosni2847 Nadal has won more Slams in fewer attempts than Djokovic.
A legend of all time BB
Some people have a 10 minute sense of tennis history. Those players were masters with the racquet, wooden racquets, which required a lot of effort and out of the ordinary skill to play the shots they did. To people who understood the game, it was very tense and exciting. They WERE athletes, but they were not baseball players, unlike some today. It would help to read up, research the game of tennis, rather than make uninformed comparisons. Today, some players show that they will become something akin to cage fighters, which is not to be desired. Tennis about managing the ball, the geometry of the court, and racquet skill and timing. For ironmen, strongmen, people can go to the circus, etc. Technology made the racquets more powerful, so the players can play differently, but it also takes a big toll on the body and only the very great players can have a career without a lot of injuries. Look at many of the young, athletic players, and how many are injured frequently. That's the difference. Technology improved, and with it the game. But don't dismiss, just because it's not apparent to eyes used only to today's tennis, and skills required by those wielding the heavy wooden racquets,
eva kovacs ii
i agree 100%
This is art. This is beauty. This is racquets as instruments, not weapons.
Absolutely true.
Nicolas Martin I second that A pleasure to watch I've played serve volley and it's a blast It's like a break away in hockey over and over again So fun so challenging So tiring. When your serve and your volley is on. It's heaven. A little off ....... Your stranded on an island. Mac inspired me I could not thank him enough Unmatched talent and guts
@@briankelly5432 Yes McEnroe was a genius.
marty dav I'll be on the courts with a100 balls working it Slice out wide and top to backhand And into body Spring is sprung. Can't wait. Man this is great tennis eh Edberg. Was close
@@briankelly5432 Yes Edberg was superb too. That whole movement of the serve out wide and the follow-up volley, particularly on the backhand side, was so sleekly elegant wasn't it.
A barber must have been a tough career choice in those days.
Rube lol
That is really funny!!!
It's not funny at all.....people weren't shallow then like that comment of yours selfie narcissist
Borg's hair was cool
That "Rambo" hairstyle 🤣
McEnroe taking so damn long between points even Nadal would be like WTF
McEnroe needs to concentrate otherwise he falls over and lands on his back the way he serves.
Johnny Mac should've won this one.
@@michaelwainscott2633
It was good he didnt. He would come back the next year and get it. And essentially end Borgs career.
Who is Nadal?
@MUFC
1. where is the relevance?
2. it is called football
Very goog video quality - in opposite to many many other videos of that time
What can never come again in replays is the absolute tension and drama of this match when played live.
It was an true roller coaster of a match where both players won and lost it many times, so to speak! For me though (and I think Mac said the same) the fact Borg could lose all those match points then the tie break, go down 0-30 on his own serve in game 1 of the 5th and yet STILL win, was beyond incredible.
It was a fantastic match.
As
The world stood still when this match was played. Nelson Mandela followed this match on the radio when he was in prison.
The time where there were no challenges, no racket abuses, no dramas, just pure tennis! Never gets old.
They wouldn't be able to break wooden racquets! 😁
And so much class, competence, discipline and proper behaviour from the audience.
McEnroe was worse than anything or anyone today…he sometimes turned the whole court into a farce
And this was the most famous brat of them all - McEnroe. Imagine that. His respect of Borg was and is immense.
still the best match I have ever seen! thanks for posting.
For me to this day in my eyes ranks as the best tennis match I have ever seen. I was 13 yoa and I still can remember this match to this day.
Totally agree Amber Puga, I was 16 at the time ..the best tie break EVER!!
Lived through it but didn't recall it so this is a god send. I modelled my play on Johnny Mac and still do...angry with myself. Have a large poster signed shot I took of him that won a competition. Met him, he signed it at Queens. Legend...present day tennis doesn't come close to this...
nah, federer vs nadal wimbledon final was better.
mrbpis: Nothing today is better than the tennis of the 80's, on so many different levels....
thats just a nostalgia thing
The serve and volley, such a lost art
yes right but Still everyone remembering till now because of only one man Goat RF
too boring to watch to be honest, and it favoured guys who only know how to serve and tennis should not be only about serving
It's pretty annoying, not even interactive or fun to see.
I think this sentiment is slightly exaggerated. They may not serve and volley very often, but any top player will come to the net and volley when the opportunity presents. I mean, for example, Federer went to the net on 65 points in the 2019 final.
I find this way more interesting to watch than today's tennis. It was more like art, while today it's all about strength. Even strawberries and cream tasted more natural back then 😆
Amazing! I watched this not knowing who was going to win... Truly tense, and an incredible moment in sports. What a battle.
JM commented elsewhere that he didn't know what happened in set 5, he just saw that other guy come back, unmoved by the drama of #4, and clean up.
Awsome Picture Quality !!!! Thanks so much
BBC
Merci pour la vidéo quels souvenirs un duel de titans...
It's James Hunt! 0:06
Vous êtes sûr ?
Je ne le reconnais pas.
Quand on voit ce match, par exemple, on se rend compte qu'il
était très difficile d'enchaîner une série de revers avec une raquette
en bois, sans compter le service (elles étaient très lourdes) .
Aleksander Petrov, no fucken way!!! Oh My God.
Borg on grass = Nadal on clay
When did cricket die?? Please tell me.
As a Motorsport and tennis fan that blew my mind
42 years afrer and this match remains so beatiful, wonderful and exciting.
I get nervous all the times that I watch this match.
Sometimes I think or I wait that something can be different during the match and I watch until the last point!
31 years? 42 years ago
Yes
Tempi malgrado tutto favolosi in specil modo per questi 2 signori del tennis,grazie forever. ❤
I don't understand a lot of the negative comments on this one. As a fellow player who grew up seeing a lot of the newer guys, watching this is a breath of fresh air. Sure, the athleticism and power of today totally eclipses these matches, but who cares? These two guys are digging deep and creating one hell of a game. It's nice to see these core concepts of tennis play and strategy battle between one another.
the power of today's game is aided by these super racquets. A lot less skill is required to play today than was required with the wooden racquets of the 80's and prior
*RIP world since 2000* Wish I was born in 70s. Born in 1995.
Godly Br0s I disagree. Players today are not better athletes. Not at all. The only difference is the tennis racquets which are like cannon rockets. Borg era, they were easily just as athletic if not more so. and playing with wood racquets and not so great tennis shoes slower surfaces and slower tennis balls
Godly Br0s I disagree. Today's players are not better players, nor are they better athletes. The racquets changed the game, and players adapted to become more specialized. Like machines hitting 120 mph balls. It is boring. I lost interest a long time ago when the game became a power slug fest. No nuance, no style. Put any of today's best agains Borg or Johnny Mac in their prime with rackets from the 70s and I'd bet on the 'old' guys.
Absolutely ÇORRECT
For all those naysayers slagging off Borg, he was also excellent at Table Tennis and Ice Hockey, so he did have a good level of fitness. He could have competed with the best of today easily because he would have upped his fitness levels to match, if he had to. 😏
Rigbyu
Borg's fitness was above anyone's today.
who ever slagged borg
What tosser slags off someone who broke the Fred Perry barrier? Fun to watch them play.
These were the days. Tennis will never ever be as good as this.
This game was played 20 days before I was born. Yet, I have seen it many times.
What mental toughness to lose that tie break and not lose your composure from Borg. Possibly the toughest mentally of any player in the history of tennis. He won a lot of matches with his mind as much as his skill.
Thank you Wimbledon!!
A beautiful badminton match
Borg had the most unique and beautiful backhand style of all time (Connors comes 2nd)... No one has ever duplicated that style, or stroke...
I wasn't born when they played this match, but I can feel it was amazing.
Hhahahhaha back then nearly everybody hated McEnroe in Europe because of the nice icecold Swede, never show any emotion on court :D
Loved his playing and watched it life ... what a sunday afternoon THRILLER for hours...
One of the 5 best games i ever watched in Tennis...and i watched a lot... John McEnroe had a personality we never forget, he was a great guy!
borg was just pure finesse, smooth like butter.
I was there! It took more than four hours, standing. After the game my leg was shaking and McEnroe became my hero! It was my first time to watch a tennis game and how lucky I was.!
Ppl talk about mac’s unique strokes but borg’s shots are also so strange! Especially the backhand
Yes Borg had the best backhand
This is the best tennis game i ever had seen it had everything. It was like a scary thriller movie
Nowadays the big 3 of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal win 80% of the GS,s and have dominated for a decade. In the 70,s and 80,s there were more elite players like Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Edberg, Chang to compete for the Grand Slams. Just because Roger, Rafa and Novak have won more doesn't mean they are better.
True.Much less competition in the last 10 years.In one decade, Federer just won 5 wimbledons in a row as if everyone else was asleep
@@goldenboyi1989 It's not his fault that he emerged during that time.
The greatest ever. Laver borg connors McEnroe lendl Sampras. Federer is great but no way the greatest. It's not even close.
an amazing time to be a young lad growing up and mad on sport and casual fashion ......... tacchini , fila and diadora heaven
Greatest ever Wimbledon match
One and only classy Borg still remains a legend!..
Borg, one of the greatest players in history, who knows how many majors he would have won if he hadn’t retired early. This was before serve and volley ruined the game. Also, the racquet heads became so large that the margin of error was greatly reduced.
@jeremypearson6852. Serve-and-volley did NOT "ruin" the game of tennis! Tennis needs a diversity of playing styles in order to be a compelling spectacle! Rather it is the deplorable changes in the game (i.e., the lubricated strings, larger Type3 tennis ball, harder Type1 tennis ball, slowed-down courts, the abandonnent of the fast court surfaces such as the DecoTurf2 hard court surface at the U.S. Open and the lightening fast, indoor supreme court carpet surface and the change in the composition of the grass courts at Wimbledon in 2001) which have, along with the colossal mistake made in the mid/late 1970's-early 1980's of allowing graphite rackets to replace the small-headed wood and metal rackets (which was real tennis) that have turned the once beautiful game of tennis into a totally boring, unending, one-dimensional, war-of-attrition, wonderful cure for insomnia, baseline slugfest that have ruined the game!
I was 17 years old when I watch this it was best tennis match ever
Unreal !!!!! Why am i seeing this now and now 10 yrs ago??
Everyone in this video is now 40 years older.
that's cray
Or dead
James Hunt is no longer with us sadly.
James Hunt makes a cameo at 0:06. Amazing stuff.
Damn that was him?
WATCHING THESE TWO 20TH CENTURY TENNIS LEGENDS AND WATCHING THE LIKES OF RAFA NADAL , FEDERER, DJOKOVIC LEGENDS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY AND NOW RECENTLY THE FOLLOWING GENERATIONS LIKE THE AMAZING CARLOS ALCARAZ TELLS ME THAT TENNIS IS A GAME IN CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION, I LOVE THIS GAME!!❤
I remember watching this real time and it wore me out. Borg chocked IMO even though he won. Unfortunately JMAC became Borgs kryptonite and Borg was never the same. The most talented of his time but didn't have the heart of many others of his generation. It's crazy but tennis was actually as popular as any sport back then unlike today.
As a Borg fan, I recall feeling sad even though he won. McEnroe showed him it was gonna be over for him the next year. And, it was. It broke Borg. Or, certainly rattled him enough to sow a great deal of doubt.
The greatest match of the tennis history !!!
Loved Borges style of play
the court is in so much better condition in the final than it is these days
John McEnroe- defender of the faith for all serve and volleyers!
I am a serve and volleyer and Mac is my idol! :D
Yes I was 13 years old as well! I was watching live on TV for the first time! Back then in India hardly anything was shown live. I truly believe that this was the greatest tennis match ever surpassing Federer Nadal Wimbledon 2008 though I am a big fan of Federer and this era of tennis.
1984 french open more brutal for him
I love the pattern on the grass... all the serve and volley back in the day...
The first time I ever watched a tennis match.........I have watched many since then. 40 years ago !
They didn´t need towels for half an hour. Today every 15 sec.
They also didn't get a 2 min break after a set. Only a 1 min break after every uneven game.
They were relatively stronger back then better endurance...they take the sweat like men.
Seriously, today they hit an ace and then have to towel off. It’s ridiculous
Cuz they are so slow
Ja, but the game was t so physical then....cake and tea tennis in comparison......
Opening sequence was Borg shaking hands with James Hunt!
It’s so retro I love it!
Best match ever of the wooden racket era.
Borg was sooo cool and collected.
A line cord judge, white balls, wooden racquets, the players not towelling themselves down after every point, not challenging every call and no Hawkeye... ah, the good old days.
Fantastisches Match, zwei tolle Persönlichkeiten, kein Vergleich zur heutigen Zeit.
So in the movie trailer, Borg is called the "baseliner" (McEnroe being the "net-rusher") Yeah, I guess that's cause Borg didn't rush the net EVERY point.
Senor Plaid Yes, Borg was primarily a baseline player.
hyena131 I guess Yep. Your serve and volley or other . For a baseliner , Borg does come to the net quite often I played at a quite low level serve volley tennis Almost every serve first and second To the net Period. Now , that's where the rubber hits the road And the true meaning of. Tennis anyone ? Comes to the fore Total blast An absolute physical and mental challenge and not for me the faint of heart When your on Pure heaven The serve and or volley a little off Your alone on an island in the pouring rain
They were so much different and opposite in kind. Like the two poles. But they had one thing common in them, passion for tennis and grit.
I watched the movie and realized at the end of the day,the only thing mattered was tennis..not the fame,not the ego,not the calmness,or the tantrums in the court.
It's a shame I never watched them play live. I am way younger lol,born in 2000. But I have urge to watch the legends play in the 70s,80s and 90s. I was amazed to see the highlights of this match..I am a big fan of the game game since 2011..when I was 11.
I also respect Borg's decision to retire at the age of 26. He probably always wanted to stay at number 1. Number 2 or number 100, didn't matter to him. That's why he decided to step out. There's no denying that we missed so much of him playing other legendary matches. But still,I am grateful this game had such a great player.
That little bit of footage of Borg and McEnroe going into the dressing room and Borg saying hello to James Hunt was actually before the 81 final
I don't watch modern tennis. Capriati was the last one with any balls. But this was the greatest match I ever saw.
Loved Borg. McEnroe was always a jack*ss. I even didn’t mind seeing Conners win if he was beating McEnroe.
Not a tennis fan but I remember this is my all time favorite match. Memorial day weekend.
Im 57 now and can serve harder with the new raquets than i could when 26 and using the metal wilson that connors used
For me imagine hitting the ball with a small frying pan then try one of todays raquets it is a totally different game
Tennis was awesome back then...Borg was my dude, but what great players! The game was so much better
A little bit of historical perspective. Borg was the first to hit the forehand with an open stance and against the conventional wisdom of playing sideways and with the left food firmly leading. The template that he laid on the forehand can be seen today in every player and most notably in Federer.
Cannot forget this le end art game. Watched it live.
Supported the Swede but McEnroe was awesome.
That’s James Hunt the Formula One champion at 0:07, they made a movie about him, Chris Hemsworth played him.
Yeahhh...movie name is Rush.
Loved that movie.
Ann Mitchell Rush is such a great movie, I love the final race scene and the music by Hans Zimmer is just excellent
Bjorn Borg: The coolest guy on the lawn👍 John McEnroe: The JERK who made our day when we were teens👍
Most exciting tennis match I've ever seen.
I just finished watching the film Borg vs Mcenroe, it's really good! Not sure how much of it is true, but it's such a great homage to this epic battle. That tie break was insane.
Mac didn't like it, said much was inaccurate.
But I wonder if what he really disliked was Shia's portrayal of him...
to me he lacked the depth and resemblance that Borg's actor had,
and was short! 😆 (McEnroe & Borg actually same height 5'11")
This is good stuff with real people and real coverage. Not clones and cgi like everything we see today.
I watched it in direct. Amazing 👌
What an era for tennis ! Borg v McEnroe . Mr. Cool v Mr. Bombastic. Fila v Tacchini. Diadora Gold Elites v Nike Wimbledons. It was such a brilliant time !
Just amazing how close to the net JM was hitting those volleys after serving.
When Borg retired in '82 it looked like he just couldn't stand the thought of losing to McEnroe again. Could have been he was burned out or McEnroe figured him out and that disheartened him. Who knows.......but retiring at 25 is unheard of by today's stars.