Björn Borg and the Super-Swedes: Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander, and the Golden Era of Tennis

by Mats Holm, Ulf Roosvald, Cecilia Palmcrantz (Translator)

Overview

Written by Mats Holm and Ulf Roosvald, Björn Borg and the Super-Swedes explains how a small country with 8 million inhabitants like Sweden could become the leading nation in tennis and an example to imitate worldwide. It starts with the legend of Björn Borg, the taciturn and mysterious Swede who became an icon of the ’70s and turned tennis into a global sport, and ends with the Kings of Tennis, the nostalgic senior event part of the Champions Tour held each year in Stockholm.
The 1985 Australian Open final, the first (and only, so far) all-Swedish Grand Slam final in the history of tennis, between Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander, is a prominent focus of the book. The classic Davis Cup encounters between USA and Sweden in 1982 and 1984 and the Borg-John McEnroe rivalry are also key story lines.
The book also includes off the court details about the players, painting a well-rounded picture of their personalities, as well as context on the politics of Sweden at the time, including the impact of the social Democratic party.
The perfect gift for tennis aficionados and history buffs alike!

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510733640
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	10/02/2018
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Mats Holm is a Swedish journalist, lecturer, and writer who works at Fokus news magazine. The author of six books, Holm resides in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Ulf Roosvald is a Swedish journalist who is currently the editor of Göteborgs-Posten newspaper’s weekend magazine. He is the author of two other books and has been a staff member at the acclaimed Swedish soccer magazine Offside. Roosvald is the father of two and lives with his family in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mats Holm is a Swedish journalist, lecturer, and writer who worked as a freelance reporter for several years. The author of six books, Holm resides in Sweden.
Ulf Roosvald is a Swedish journalist who is currently the editor of Göteborgs-Posten newspaper’s weekend magazine. He is the author of two other books and has been a staff member at the acclaimed Swedish soccer magazine Offside. Roosvald is the father of two and lives with his family in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Table of Contents

A New Gang In Town "If you saw this whole circus from the outside, you'd be furious." 1

From Royal Pastime to the People's Sport "He's the world's only undefeated tennis player.'Just don't beat the king' was what other players were told as they set out to play him," 22

Around The Globe in Tennis Shorts "I wasn't surprised that I lost, but that the best players were so good, they played at a level I barely knew existed." 45

Carrying Sweden on His Shoulders "Labbe always talked about how bad things were in Sweden. The taxes, the mentality, how Swedes can't do anything and don't understand anything." 67

A One-Man Team in A Collective Time "My thing was to do something on my own. I think that's what motivates every athlete in an individual sport." 86

Desire, Wins, And Wimbledon "Nastase was the favorite; me being there was more of a shocker. I know Nastase looked at it that way, too." 98

Fast Feet Versus Good Hands "Is Björn trying to psych me out or get me to relax? Or … is he just a nice guy?" 120

The Teens Who Copied Borg "Do you have some kind of laboratory for tennis machines in Sweden? Machines you put small heads on?" 147

Good Guys Always Win "I had a hell of a time against Stefan. I was annoyed because I was older and should win, and he was so damn good." 173

A Lone Wolf with His Own Tactics "Stefan had such a beautiful backhand volley, it cut like a knife. I noticed it and said to him: 'Stop playing your two-handed backhand.'" 186

When Småland Ruled The World "How can a guy who's always been a classic baseline player change his game so radically?" 206

A Crack in the Facade "There was no way I was going to play that match. I lived in America and could just escape there." 220

Artist in A Hairshirt "Your body language is so bad. It affects your game. You won't win any matches if you look like that out on the court." 235

A Salt-And-Pepper Gang In Town "Ah … these Swedes … they always beat me, I hate them." 248

Achievements 263

ATP Rankings 1973-1996 265

Bibliography 270

Editorial Reviews

10/15/2018
Holm and Roosvald energetically explore the influence Björn Borg, Stefan Edberg, and Mats Wilander had on Swedish men’s tennis and their country’s domination of the sport during the 1970s. As Swedish journalist Holm and editor Roosvald describe, Jan-Erik Lundqvist’s rise in the 1960s got the entire country to embrace the sport as municipalities built tennis facilities, corporations underwrote sponsorships, and clubs could afford better trained coaches. The authors weave into their history player interviews (“My thing was to do something on my own. I think that’s what motivates every athlete in an individual sport,” Borg said) with exhaustive descriptions of individual matches. Of game three at Wimbledon in 1976 between Borg and Ilie Nastase, the authors write, “Nastase hits a deep serve to Borg’s backhand side and he handles the sharply hit return with an acrobatic forehand cross volley. Raw talent and deep concentration in one single motion.” Diehard fans may appreciate the thorough reporting, but more casual readers will find that the match recaps quickly become tedious. The authors also explore ongoing rivalries with Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, and Ivan Lendl, as well as relationships with coaches, such as Percy Rosberg, who shaped Borg’s career. This history expertly documents the emergence and continued development of tennis in Sweden. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly