Tennis legends Bjorn Borg and Vijay Amritraj get candid about the game, their relationship and more

It’s hard to ignore Bjorn Borg and Vijay Amritraj in a room. The duo carry with them a grandiose presence, and the hefty tag of being legends in a sport like tennis. They have come a long way since 1973 when they met each other on the court for the first time. While the gruelling match ended with Amritraj clinching a win in the fifth set, the two took away with them a strong friendship. 

“We have always had a good relationship… and we have been friends who have respected each other both on the court and off the court,” Borg told YS Life on Tuesday in an interaction at The Leela Palace. 

This is Borg’s third visit to India. This time around, the two have been busy interacting with those interested in the sport. Very recently, the two hosted a tennis clinic for kids and their parents, sharing insights and titbits into how to get better at tennis. 

“The visit has been not just enjoyable, but also educational, because we get a chance to talk about Swedish tennis and Indian tennis, and where we have a long way to go,” Amritraj said. 

Tennis in the contemporary world

The two have played witness to how the game has evolved over the years, seeing some contemporary greats like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and the likes become who they are today. The sport, in Amritraj’s point of view, has been dominated by a handful of people in the last 15 years. 

“I've said we've had three guys who have dominated the sport for the last 15 years. And every time you get new guys coming along, to push them, they push themselves to get just a little bit better. And that's the greatness of the guys who literally have so many majors between them,” he said, adding that with new players entering the game, there will be a breakthrough soon. 

On the current big four in men’s singles in tennis, Borg said, “Federer retired… Nadal, we don't know how many years he’s going to play.. Djokovic, I think he has a good chance to win in the future, maybe one or two grand slams, But I think the important thing to remember is that… no one is bigger than tennis.” 

Days of glory past 

If there was one thing the two were in agreement about, it was that the tennis of today was unlike what it was back then.

“The game was different, the world was different…We see the growth of it over the years. Yes, the guys today are tremendous athletes, they strike the ball immensely hard, and so on, so forth. We've all seen them very close up… But I still look back and said, I'm glad I played when I did,” Amritraj said. 

The ethos of the game back then was to compete, work hard, and keep alit a fire to win no matter what. “Those years were a wonderful time,” Borg recounts. 

Having shared so many memories of the game, the two have stayed in touch despite the odds, having developed a routine to stay in touch. “I think, for us, personal meetings are key. We generally catch up at Wimbledon lot in the summertime, usually,” shares Amritraj, adding that the two are usually bound by a tight schedule that they discuss before-hand.

Grit, determination, and fame 

At the peak of his tennis career, Borg was instantly recognisable. Anywhere he went, he was thronged by fans waiting to catch a glimpse and perhaps snag an autograph. “Whatever I did, I had hundreds of people all over all the time. And that's nice, because in the beginning of your career, you love that,” Borg said. 

“I’d say he was as famous as Abba or the Beatles,” Amritraj said. 

But on the courts, for players, it is a different story. “When you go out to play, you have to figure out everything for yourself… if you play badly, you have to change your game and do something different,” said Borg, adding that tennis is as much of a gruelling sport physically as it is mentally. 

Amritraj said understanding each player and who you are up against, and channelling that into a mental stream of consciousness separates the greats from the good players.