Every day, Tennis Majors transports you back in time to relive a particular day in tennis history. At the age of just eighteen, Bjorn Borg won his first major championship on June 16, 1974, when he took home the French Open trophy. the start of a fruitful adventure.
ACTUALLY WHAT WENT DOWN THAT DAY This day, June 16, 1974, saw Swedish player Bjorn Borg, then eighteen years old, win his first Roland-Garros championship. Borg, who at the time was the youngest player to win the tournament, overcame Manuel Orantes in the final, winning 2-6 6-7 6-0 6-1 6-1. This was the first victory in 11 major titles won between 1974 and 1981, and the beginning of Borg’s fame. More people watched the Swede than any other tennis player, making him the first tennis “rockstar.” In the years that followed, “Borgmania” elevated tennis’ status as a popular sport.
THE AACTORS Rising tennis star Bjorn Borg Born in 1956, Bjorn Borg began playing tennis at the age of nine. At fifteen, he was already playing for the Swedish Davis Cup squad, and in his opening match, he defeated New Zealander Onny Parun in the singles. Before he was even 17 years old, he turned professional the next year, in 1973. He quickly advanced to the Monte-Carlo final, where Ilie Nastase upset him (6-4 6-1 6-2). He advanced to the fourth round on his debut at Roland-Garros before losing to Adriano Panatta (7-6 2-6 7-5 7-6).
Borg won his first title in Auckland in January 1974. Subsequently, he won titles at WTC competitions in London and Sao Paulo, and ultimately, the most significant one—in Rome—where he defeated Ilie Nastase in the championship match (6-3 6-4 6-2). Borg was seeded third in the French Open following his victory at the Italian Open, and despite his youth, he was now seen as a strong contender for the title. His game, which featured a two-handed backhand and a lot of topspin, was groundbreaking and would be imitated globally.
