Who is Bjorn Borg? Former world No.1 inspires blockbuster movie Borg vs McEnroe

A NEW film focusing on the famous Wimbledon battle between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe has been released.

Borg vs McEnroe hits the screens today, centred on the brilliant final at SW19 in 1980 which is regarded as one of the greatest matches ever played.

Now the rivalry between two of the superstars of tennis has been immortalised in film, reviving memories of one of the great sporting occasions.

Who is Bjorn Borg?

Borg is a Swedish tennis player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

He won 11 Grand Slam titles in a dazzling career which saw him transcend the sport and become a global superstar.

Borg burst onto the scene as a precocious teenager when he represented Sweden in the 1972 Davis Cup aged just 15, and went on to claim the Wimbledon juniors title that year.

He turned professional the following year, and aged 18 he won the 1974 French Open - the youngest ever to take the crown at that time.

Borg was a dominant figure on the clay in the French Open, and on the grass of Wimbleon as he established himself as world number one during a golden era for tennis.

He won six French Open titles and claimed the Wimbledon title for five successive years between 1976-1980.

But with his success and fame came pressures outside the game, and Borg shocked tennis when he announced his retirement aged just 26 in 1982.

When is Borg vs McEnroe out in cinemas and what’s it about?

Borg vs McEnroe is out TODAY (September 22, 2017).

The movie recreates the 1980 Wimbledon final match between American player John McEnroe, and Swedish Bjorn Borg, both of whom were at the top of their game at the time.

The lead-up to the match will also be a key part of the film, but audiences can definitely expect to see what really happened on court being played out.

McEnroe’s famous complaint to the umpire – “You cannot be serious!” – is even shown in the trailer.

This Swedish film is directed by Janus Metz Pedersen, who directed an episode of True Detective’s second series.

It’s coming out in the same month as another tennis movie called The Battle Of The Sexes, about the 1973 match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

What do John and Bjorn make of the movie?

John McEnroe, who works with the BBC on Wimbledon coverage every year, was very upset that he had not been consulted about the film before shooting began.

The 58-year-old also cast aspersions about whether the movie would look good if neither Shia nor Sverrir could play tennis – though the latter actor has said he trained up for six months.

Despite his reservations, John did say of the film: “It could be entertaining. If it’s good, it’d be cool. Let’s hope.”

Bjorn has remained silent on the film so far, but he has been involved in its making because his son Leo plays the young version of him on screen.