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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: John McEnroe of the United States reacts during the mixed doubles match between John McEnroe of the United States and his partner Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Martina Navratilova of the United States and Jamie Murray of Great Britain during the Wimbledon No. 1 Court Celebration in support of the Wimbledon Foundation at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on May 19, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 19: John McEnroe of the United States reacts during the mixed doubles match between John McEnroe of the United States and his partner Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Martina Navratilova of the United States and Jamie Murray of Great Britain during the Wimbledon No. 1 Court Celebration in support of the Wimbledon Foundation at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on May 19, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Former American tennis star John McEnroe is among the humorous characters in the tennis world. Back in his playing days, he was a tough athlete. People from his generation remember the aggression and his spats with opponents and umpires.
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However, after his retirement, he has become one of the best and most accurate tennis analysts. People love him for his jolly mood and funny acts on screen. Another such incident happened in 2019 when McEnroe gave an honest answer about the underwear brand he uses.
McEnroe uses only Björn Borg’s underwear
Swedish tennis star Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe were rivals of their time. After retirement, the duo shares a great bond. Brog launched his undies brand back in the 90s and McEnroe supported his friend. In 2011, McEnroe also collaborated with Borb’s brand to promote it.
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GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Captains Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe enjoy a moment before the last match between Alexander Zverev of Team Europe and Milos Raonic of Team World during Day Three of the Laver Cup 2019 at Palexpo on September 22, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Laver Cup will see six players from the rest of the World competing against their counterparts from Europe. Team World is captained by John McEnroe and Team Europe is captained by Bjorn Borg. The tournament runs from September 20-22. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
Later, in 2019, in a comedy benefit for his Johnny Mac Tennis Project, McEnroe answered a question regarding his underwear. The host asked him about the brand of underwear the former world number 1 uses. Replying to the question, McEnroe slipped down his jeans a bit and showed the brand of his underwear. “I only wear Björn Borg underwear,” he said.
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Over the years, we have seen the best tennis rivalries turning into good friendships. It was a similar story for Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. In the modern era, Nadal and Federer are the best examples of on-court rivalry and off-court friendship.
John McEnroe vs Bjorn Borg head to head
McEnroe and Borg gave the most entertaining matches of their time. While McEnroe ended with 7 Grand Slam titles to his name, Borg ended with 11. Borg became the first man in the open era to win 11 Major titles. Talking about their rivalry, the two faced off on 14 occasions.
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 23: Captain Bjorn Borg of Team Europe and Captain John McEnroe of Team World pose for a portrait during the Laver Cup Opening Night Gala presented by Moët & Chandon ahead of the 2021 Laver Cup at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on September 23, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
Interestingly, it’s impossible to single out a clear winner among them because they have an equal number of wins. Both Borg and McEnroe won 7 matches each. They clashed for the first time in Stockholm in 1978. Here McEnroe defeated the crowd favorite Borg in straight sets. Next year, Borg completed his revenge after winning a three-set match against McEnroe in the US.
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The two faced each other for the last time in the 1981 US Open final. McEnroe defeated Borg in a four-set match. What is your favorite match from their rivalry? Let us know in the comments.
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Edited by
Pritam Priyedarshi