Speaking of Bjorn Borg’s amazing welcome at the French Open, Chris Evert remarked that, in terms of her career at Roland Garros, she herself feels like one of the Beatles. She was joined by the Swede in an engaging discussion as they reminisced about their heyday in Paris. Both were several Grand Slam winners, with Roland Garros being the site of their most clay-court victories. The American claims that even with the rise of superstars like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and Novak Djokovic, Borg is still the biggest figure in tennis.
Amazing careers in the French Open for Evert and Borg Borg was a six-time French Open champion from 1974 to 1981. The Swede dominated the competition for thirty years, and until Rafael Nadal rose to prominence, it looked nearly impossible to top his record. With his sixth win in 2011, the Spaniard equaled Borg, and he has since amassed an almost unbelievable 14 trophies at Roland Garros. Even then, Roland Garros was Borg’s dream venue and he went on to become a legend as an 11-time Grand Slam winner.
Comparably, with seven wins won between 1974 and 1986, American Chris Evert is the most successful female champion in French Open history. Thanks to her six titles there, “Chrissie” also shone in Paris, where only Steffi Graf came close to matching her record. Even yet, Borg and Evert are the two players who have performed the best at the French Open following Rafael Nadal. Two tennis legends, Evert and Borg, shared their memories of their glory days at Roland Garros in the 1970s and 1980s in an interview with the New York Times. The American said that, in those days, the men’s game, in which Borg was the biggest celebrity, dominated conversation and little was spoken about women’s tennis.
When it came to women’s liberation, equality, and the celebration of female athletes, Paris was lagging behind. All the talk was about men’s tennis. Bjorn also had the same level of celebrity as one of the Beatles. He needed security personnel to surround him.” “The girls were attempting to grasp at him while yelling and sobbing. I had never seen someone so idolized as he was. Evert stated, “I still believe he’s the biggest star tennis has ever had.”
The former Swedish player also talked about his anxiety when he made it to the French Open final in 1974, the year he took home his maiden championship. Borg recalled that he was not the tournament favorite but still made it to the final, when he lost to the defending US Open champion Manuel Orantes: “I would say going into the event that I was not the favorite to win. Being in my first Grand Slam final surprised me.” Although I was a little anxious, I believe he was under more strain than I was. Besides, he was exhausted. Additionally, as we played longer, he became more exhausted and I could feel that he was under more strain,” the former world number one continued.
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