A legendary talent’s successors are often expected to be the torch bearer of legacies. Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg’s son Leo Borg was expected to do the same when he was born in 2003. Bjorn Borg’s third wife, Patricia Ostfeldt’s talented son, eventually grew his interest in tennis, but he had something more to offer. 

Leo Borg, following in the footsteps of his father, is a tennis player by profession. However, he expanded his talents and impressed millions with his acting in Borg vs. McEnroe, a film released in 2017. Spotted hitting a tennis ball repeatedly against the door of a garage at his home, Leo channeled his father Bjorn Borg’s tempestuous and ice demeanor that brought him the nickname “ice borg.” He perfectly showed Bjorn’s personality by playing his father’s role in the movie.

Director Janus Metz told USA Today in 2018 that Leo Borg, a teenager at that time, wrote a letter to the director asking for an audition. Knowing his family background, it didn’t take much time for them to decide who would play the role. “We didn’t say what the movie was. And then we got a letter from Björn Borg’s own son, which his mother helped him craft, saying he would really like to audition for the film and that his name was Leo Borg, And in parenthesis at the end he said he was Björn Borg’s son,” the director said.

Leo Borg’s enthusiastic approach to auditioning for his father’s role convinced people about his love for movies. Given his great performance in the movie, everyone can say he aced the job. However, witnessing how Leo admires his father, it might also be true that his love for his father encouraged him to participate in the movie.

Despite his admiration for his father, Bjorn is not Leo Borg’s tennis idol. While Leo acknowledges Bjorn’s greatness in the sport, he has someone else he looks up to when aiming to make his claim in the sport.

Bjorn Borg’s son names his idol in tennis, leaving people in awe

Last year, Leo revealed his dream of becoming a professional tennis player and making a living out of the sport. He also mentioned his wish to reach ATP ranking in the top ten. While mentioning how he “always wanted to play tennis” on his “own initiative,” Leo said, “My dad’s one of the greatest tennis players of all time and won Wimbledon five times but he’s not my idol as I turn pro.”

He further mentioned that he met the Mallorcan legend Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup because of his father, the captain of the European team. Nadal has been Borg’s “idol” since he was a kid. Today, this Swedish tennis player is all set to play against his idol at the Swedish Open’s Round of 32.

Leo Borg’s great acting and over-enthusiastic take on acting showed his multidimensional talent to the fraternity. Following his skills in Borg vs McEnroe, do you think he should keep acting in the future, parallel to playing tennis?