Should Bjorn Borg have retired from tennis earlier, would commentators have ranked him on par with Roger Federer?

Okay. Borg dominated the French Open as well as Wimbledon. In all, he won five titles. This is really remarkable.

 

This is highly unusual to completely dominate both, like no other, because clay and grass play very differently from one another.

 

Large serves, volleys, and movement to the net are preferred in grass. Athleticism and a one-handed volley are essential.

 

Clay loves a two-handed backhand, extremely consistent strokes, and tenacious returners. It’s essential to have mental toughness.

 

Sampras, Federer, Laver, Borg, Navratilova, Williams sisters, and Graf are the legendary grasscourt players.

The legendary claycourt players: Seles, Henin, Graf, Nadal, Muster, Wilander, Evert, and Borg.

 

The only player who is a man on both lists is Borg. This puts him in excellent company. Given that Borg retired at the age of 26, you could make a strong case for him as the greatest of all time. Despite my youth, I hardly recall his play, yet his achievements are unmatched.

 

While dominating one surface makes sense, nothing compares to Borg’s ability to control both clay and grass courts.