Why Bjorn Borg ended his career and how a childhood experience shaped his path

Björn Borg, a well-known face of the tennis scene, is still the subject of various theories by analysts who wonder why he ended his career. In his memoir Heartbeats, Borg spoke openly about many things, including addiction to alcohol, drugs and pills, as well as a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

In a video interview with the Associated Press, the 69-year-old shared his views on life.

He also recalled his defeat at Wimbledon in 1981 to John McEnroe, a moment he will never forget.

After the final, Borg had a few beers and sat by the pool at home, which, he says, was probably the moment he realized that he would end his tennis career.

“All I could think was how miserable my life had become,” he writes.

“I was not upset or sad when I lost the final. And that’s not me as a person. I hate to lose,” he said, as quoted by AOL.

“My head was spinning, and I knew I’m going to step away from tennis.”

How did he manage to stay so calm on the tennis courts?

The Swedish tennis player shared the recipe for calmness on the court. Some took notice, hoping that younger tennis players might listen to his advice. However, he had a painful experience in his childhood, which ultimately made him change his behavior and become completely different on the tennis courts.

Although he admits that at some points he felt strong emotions while playing, Borg knew that he had to control his feelings, because otherwise there would probably be an even bigger problem. 

It required long training and years of practice to reach that level.

“I behaved so badly on the tennis court. I was swearing, cheating, behaving the worst you can imagine,” he said.

“I did not open my mouth on the tennis court, because I was scared to get suspended again.

Boiling inside? Yes. I had to control my feelings. … You cannot do that in one week. It took years to figure out how I should behave on the court.”