According to former Australian tennis player Pat Cash, Bjorn Borg was the first to establish the rockstar image in tennis, and players like Vitas Gerulaitis and John McEnroe have since carried on the tradition. Cash, however, stated that he thought the sport’s glitzy reputation had diminished over time.
Over the course of his illustrious career, Borg won 11 Grand Slam titles, triumphing six times at the French Open and clinching five consecutive Wimbledon titles. Beyond his impressive on-court achievements, the Swede also ignited an unprecedented frenzy among fans, giving tennis a “Rock ‘n’ Roll” allure.
In a 2007 interview for Metal Express Radio, Pat Cash, a rock music enthusiast, hailed Bjorn Borg as the first “rock star” of tennis, with John McEnroe and Vitas Gerulaitis following in the Swede’s footsteps. However, the Australian asserted that the sport had lost this glamorous Rock ‘n’ Roll feel since their era.
“It used to be, I don’t know about that now though. It may be because it’s slightly rebellious. I suppose tennis was a bit of a glam Rock ‘n’ Roll sport back then with Bjorn Borg, he was the first Rock star of tennis then McEnroe and Gerulaitis came along after that. I think it’s changed since then,” Cash said.
Cash’s opinion proved to be a popular one, as Chris Evert also acknowledged the Swede’s rock star status. Speaking to the New York Times in 2024, the American likened Borg to the Beatles for the excitement he generated at the French Open.
Dubbing him the biggest star in tennis history, Evert disclosed that the former World No. 1 had to be surrounded by security due to the numerous women screaming and attempting to grab him.
Bjorn resembled one of the Beatles, a rock star. Security personnel had to surround him. The females were yelling, sobbing, and attempting to seize him. He was the most revered person I had ever seen. He remains, in my opinion, the greatest tennis star of all time,” Evert remarked.
The similar view was expressed by Chris Evert’s ex-husband, former British No. 1 John Lloyd, who recalled the “storm” that Bjorn Borg caused at Wimbledon by leaving ladies screaming in his wake. Regarding Bjorn Borg’s “amazing” Wimbledon reception, John McEnroe said, “It was like a combination of Elvis Presley and the Beatles.”
John McEnroe, Chris Evert, John Lloyd, and Pat Cash also discussed the “amazing” response that Bjorn Borg got at Wimbledon. The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who had defeated the Swede in back-to-back finals at SW19 in 1980 and 1981, had direct experience of the craze.
The American likened the fervor over Borg to the mania brought on by Elvis Presley and the Beatles in an interview with the Boston Globe in 2010. Additionally, McEnroe stressed that he had never witnessed such a scene at the grasscourt Major before. “It was incredible. It resembled a cross between the Beatles and Elvis. I’ve never seen Wimbledon like it before. John McEnroe remarked, “It has never happened before and it has never happened since.” A fascinating ‘Fire and Ice’ rivalry developed between the cool-headed and collected Bjorn Borg and the fiery and aggressive John McEnroe during their playing careers. In 14 matchups at the tour level, the two shared seven victories.
