John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg have played each other just 14 times in their careers, but within that three-year span (1978-1981), they managed to establish themselves as two of the biggest rivals in the history of the sport. Talking about their rivalry, in March 1981, World Tennis magazine ran a cover photo of McEnroe and Borg standing back to back, revolutionary-style guns pointed up, with the headline “McEnroe-Borg: Will Their Duels Become Legend?” From being fierce rivals, they became two of the closest friends on the Tour. Let’s take a look at their moments of camaraderie and how they’ve been beside each other through their ups and downs.

Talking about their playing styles, Bjorn Borg preferred to quietly stalk the baseline, swinging his two-handed backhand, while the left-handed John McEnroe was all about disruption, in his game and in his behavior. Speaking more on this, McEnroe once said, “We were the perfect yin and yang. You had someone who was naturally aggressive against someone who was a counterpuncher. Everything about us was totally different, the way we looked and the way we played.” Despite a stark difference in their playing styles, they have never failed to show their love and support for each other with the help of their unique camaraderie.

For example, in an interview with The Times, the five-time Wimbledon champion, Bjorn Borg, made a very interesting revelation. He said, “I was going to auction my trophies [in 2006], not because I needed the money but because I wanted to get rid of everything I received in tennis. That was not the right decision. John [McEnroe] called me several times and said, ‘You can’t sell your Wimbledon trophies. ‘ In the end, it cost me more money to buy them back — good move. John asks me all the time for underwear from my company, so over the years I’ve given him a lot.”

A friend in need is a friend indeed! John McEnroe was visibly irked by the idea of Bjorn Borg selling these symbols of their storied rivalry, and he even emphatically reached out via telephone after the sale as well. What was Borg’s initial reaction when he made up his mind on this bold decision, though? Well, in a statement from that time, he admitted, “It’s not easy to part with the trophies.”

However, having said that, he had then claimed that he needed to have some long-term financial security for those close to him. So for him, it was the right time for the trophies and rackets to pass either to a tennis collector or to a suitable institution.

At Wimbledon, these two have faced each other twice. Their first meeting at SW19 was in 1980 when Bjorn Borg defeated John McEnroe in the final by five sets. Then their second meeting at Wimbledon came in 1981, and this time John McEnroe secured a victory in the final by four sets. Their rivalries were always among the most celebrated rivalries in the tennis world.

In 2016, during a press conference ahead of the inaugural Laver Cup, Team World captain (at that time), John McEnroe showered praise on Team Europe’s captain by saying, “Bjorn [Borg] and I are great friends. He’s the only guy I still get along with that I played against, which is a good thing.” Even last year, before their seventh meeting at Laver Cup, McEnroe reflected on their unique bond by saying, “To look across the court and see my biggest rival and great friend Björn Borg […] it’s very hard for me to beat.“

Talking about beating the best in business, well, despite being the world number one, Jannik Sinner now has to beat the seven-time champion, Novak Djokovic, to secure a spot in the final of the 2025 Wimbledon. Who has the edge in this battle, according to John McEnroe?

John McEnroe explains why Novak Djokovic is ahead of the rest at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic has been quite impressive in this tournament so far. Although Flavio Cobolli gave him a tough fight in the QF, he still managed to secure a 6(6)-7,6-2,7-5,6-4 win against the Italian. With this win, he is all set to face Jannik Sinner yet again in 2025. Currently their H2H record is 5-4 in favor of Sinner! Before this, both of them faced each other in the SF of the 2025 French Open. Over there, the Italian had the last laugh in straight sets. Are we going to see a repetition even here as well? 

Well, according to American legend, John McEnroe, who has in fact won this tournament three times (1981,1983,1984) in his career, “Wimbledon is Novak’s best chance to win another Slam, absolutely. He understands the nuances of this court better than anyone.” During his interview with BBC One ahead of their SF clash, he added, “At this point, this is Djokovic’s best surface and Sinner’s least favorite

Djokovic has been a major force at Wimbledon for the past decade and a half, having made 10 finals and won seven titles. On the other side, Sinner has one semifinal at The Championships in his resume – he made it in 2023 before losing to the Serb.”

According to John McEnroe, “On this court, you would say this is Jannik’s least favorite and Novak’s best at this point, so that makes it a real toss-up, maybe even a slight edge in Novak’s favor.” Both Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner have faced each other twice (2022,2023) at Wimbledon, and the Serb has won both these matches. So, despite the results in their last four meetings, if we take a look at this, Novak Djokovic seems to be having an edge on this surface. What are your thoughts on this, though? Follow the Championships in real-time with EssentiallySports’ Live Blog updates.