Sports
A rare Bjorn Borg interview: Saying goodbye to Laver Cup, retiring at 26 and watching his son Leo
All these years later, Bjorn Borg is getting another chance to make a proper exit.
It didn’t go great the last time around. For those not familiar with one of the more notorious tennis walk-offs, after Borg lost in the U.S. Open final against John McEnroe in 1981 – his third consecutive loss to McEnroe in a Slam final – he grabbed his bag, headed for the tunnel, barely stopped in the locker room as he grabbed his car keys, then headed to the parking lot and drove off, leaving everyone a bit baffled during the trophy ceremony as to why the finalist was not there.
And that was basically it, other than two very abbreviated comeback attempts. The 11-time Grand Slam winner never played another Grand Slam match. He was essentially done. In January 1983, at the age of 26, he retired from tennis.
Borg after losing the 1981 U.S. Open final to McEnroe (Getty Images)
He made brief (and unsuccessful) attempts at comebacks in the early 1990s, but for decades Borg was pretty much off the tennis grid. And then, finally, there he was on the sidelines once again seven years ago, coaching Team Europe in the Laver Cup, Roger Federer’s attempt to create a tennis version of the Ryder Cup. McEnroe coached Team World, which was kind of perfect.
Borg and McEnroe are stepping away from their Laver Cup roles after this year. Andre Agassi and Yannick Noah will replace them. With his final Laver Cup gig approaching this weekend in Berlin (September 20-22), Borg was motivated to grant a rare interview about his post-tennis life, the development of his son, Leo, into a pro, and what the hobnobbing with the best players of this era has meant to him.
“So beautiful,” he said during a phone interview last month while he was on vacation in Ibiza, which is about as Borg as it gets, right?
This interview has been edited for length and quality.
The Athletic: So many great players from your era became coaches, but you never really did, except for the Laver Cup. Why?
Borg: I never had an interest. All the travel. Sweden even asked me to be the Davis Cup captain. I said no. That was not my thing either. To be the coach of Team Europe though, I thought that was a big responsibility. And my friend Roger Federer asked me. It’s a special event in any year.
Borg and Federer in the Team Europe dressing room at the 2022 Laver Cup (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
The Athletic: Why did you quit playing so young? Were you unhappy? I ask because nowadays there are a lot of unhappy players who stop at a young age and in retrospect, you sort of seem like maybe you were the canary in the coal mine.
Borg: I was very happy as a player, but the motivation was not there. If you don’t have the motivation to practice and compete every day, you can’t focus on what you do and what you need to do. I was happy, but I had no motivation and no focus. When I came back briefly, that was a different story.
I’m writing a book. I’m going to tell everyone all about it next year.
The Athletic: What have you learned about how tennis has changed from being around the players during the Laver Cup?
Borg: We have two dinners during the week and it is the most special time. We do it to get the team bonded. They ask me about what the tour was like when I was playing and how I went about my life and we tell each other the stories of our lives. And I listen to what they tell me and really what I learn is they are not too different from me. They are tennis players. What we did is kind of the same thing as what they do.
The Athletic: But the world has changed, hasn’t it?
Borg: They hit the ball harder. It’s much more grueling to play the way they do. There is also the TV aspect to it. They are big stars. Tennis has become one of the biggest sports in the world and they have a big responsibility. They have to inspire people and promote the sport. It’s different than if you are a star in football. You don’t have to promote your sport. But if we talk about their fame, then they must be doing a great job. They all understand that no one player is bigger than the sport itself.
(Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
The Athletic: From what they tell you during those Laver Cup dinners, what do you think is the biggest difference between their lives and yours?
Borg: They have the big teams around them and these people are doing an incredible job. I did OK, even if I stopped too early, but I never had that big team of people to go around the world with that makes you feel so supported.
I was the first one who really traveled with a coach. Today everyone has a coach and a physio and all these other people. Tennis, it’s such a demanding sport. It’s really tough because you are basically out there by yourself. So you really need that.
The Athletic: Is that what you look forward to with being the coach of Team Europe, to help provide that support?
Borg: I’m going to have great players in Berlin. I want to win. It’s my last year. I lost the last two years. I want to win again, but I don’t know, Team World is very good. John McEnroe and I are good friends, but he wants to win, too. We have always enjoyed being competitive. We were such big rivals and when he is coaching we are still very competitive. To see him now is so special. We keep in contact, but to see him is something else.
The Athletic: Did it bother you the way he behaved on the court?
Borg: When we played, he was always OK. Looking back, he never did much with me. We respected each other too much, I think, both on and off the court.
Borg after beating McEnroe in five sets in the 1980 Wimbledon final (Steve Powell/Allsport/Getty Images)
The Athletic: What modern player reminds you of you?
Borg: I grew up on clay. Nadal grew up on clay. He’s the one. To see him play on clay courts, it’s so fantastic. He’s unbelievable. I can relate to how he knows how to move players around the court.
The Athletic: Chris Evert says she was scared to talk to you when you were a player because you were this silent star, but now when she sees you, you are very chatty. Have you changed?
Borg: Chris is a very good friend. We started something together. We were two big stars. We lifted tennis to a different level. I’m very happy and proud to have done that. Then the ones that came after us lifted it more. Federer, Nadal, Novak, the Williams sisters. But we were there at the beginning.
The Athletic: Your son Leo is trying to break through on the pro tour. Do you coach him?
Borg: I support him, but I do not coach him. He knows he can come to me whenever he wants. He has a whole team around him. He lives in Stockholm. I live in Stockholm. He comes by. We talk.
(Adam Ihse/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)
The Athletic: Is it harder to play a match or watch him play?
Borg: Ask any parent. You get more nervous watching your child play. I follow his matches. He feels a lot of pressure. He is my son. He is starting to perform much better, I think. I do love to watch him, though. It’s just hard because, as a parent, you have no control. When you are on the court, you have some control. In some ways, it’s easier to be on the couch watching on television. It’s much worse watching in person.
The Athletic: It seems like Christian and Casper Ruud have a good coach-player thing going and he doesn’t look very nervous. Are you sure you don’t want to give it a shot?
Borg: The Ruuds are my good friends. Trust me, Christian gets nervous, too.
(Top photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
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In just his second season at the helm, Curt Cignetti led Indiana to its first national championship.
During the Hoosiers’ title run, Cignetti became known for his demanding coaching style. Indiana opened spring practice Thursday, and incoming transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh got a crash course in what it means to play for Cignetti.
Marsh, who transferred from Michigan State, arrived at practice in gold cleats. After noting Marsh’s productive two-year stint in East Lansing, Cignetti pivoted to the wideout’s footwear.
Nick Marsh (6) of the Michigan State Spartans runs the ball up the field during the first quarter of a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Ford Field Nov. 29, 2025, in Detroit. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
“I didn’t love those gold shoes he came out in today,” Cignetti said. “He learned what getting your a– ripped is all about. I don’t know if that happened to him very often at Michigan State. That was before practice started.”
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Marsh totaled 1,311 receiving yards and nine touchdowns at Michigan State. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover also headlines Indiana’s transfer additions.
An Indiana Hoosiers helmet during a game against the Ball State Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium Aug. 31, 2019, in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Cignetti added that the coaching staff has “more work to do with this group than the first two teams,” noting the group is still learning more about players the team will likely rely on next season.
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti during the second quarter against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff national championship at Hard Rock Stadium Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Indiana went 16-0 en route to a thrilling win over Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship in January.
Cignetti framed his callout of Marsh’s cleats as an early message about expectations.
“That was a wake-up call,” Cignetti said of the receiver’s pre-practice cleats. “But he’s really worked hard, done a great job for us.”
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Redondo Union didn’t care that Mira Costa’s volleyball team was ranked No. 1 in California. This was their South Bay rival coming to their gym Thursday night, and anything can happen when a team digs deep and doesn’t fear losing.
The Sea Hawks (14-2) were aggressive from the outset and came away with a 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13 victory.
“Chemistry,” setter Tommy Spalding said about the Sea Hawks’ triumph. He’s one of three players headed to MIT, and all three had big matches.
At one point on back-to-back plays, Carter Mirabal had a block and Vaughan Flaherty followed with a kill off an assist from Spalding. Chemistry.
JR Boice, a Long Beach State commit, was delivering kills, and Cash Essert’s serving and all-around play kept Mira Costa’s Mateo Fuerbringer looking frustrated. The Sea Hawks’ focus was on Fuerbringer, who came alive in the fifth set with six kills, but Redondo was able to come back from an 11-9 deficit.
It was only Mira Costa’s second loss in 25 matches. Redondo Union took over first place in the Bay League.
Baseball
Orange Lutheran 3, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian 2: The Lancers advanced to the semifinals of the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C., behind a walk-off single in the eighth inning by Andrew Felizzari. Brady Murrietta had tied the score with a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh. CJ Weinstein had two doubles for the Lancers.
Venice (Fla.) 12, Harvard-Westlake 0: The Wolverines were limited to three hits at the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C.
Casteel (Queen Creek, Ariz.) 3, St. John Bosco 2: The Braves suffered their first defeat in North Carolina. Jack Champlin threw five innings and also had two RBIs.
Chatsworth 6, Taft 3: Tony Del Rio Nava threw six innings and had two RBIs in the West Valley League win.
Granada Hills 4, El Camino Real 3: A two-run single by Nicholas Penaranda in the seventh inning keyed a three-run inning for the Highlanders in their West Valley League upset. JJ Saffie had three hits for ECR.
Cleveland 4, Birmingham 3: The Cavaliers pushed across a run in the top of the 10th inning to break a 3-3 tie in the West Valley League win. Joshua Pearlstein finished with three hits, including a home run.
Sun Valley Poly 4, San Fernando 2: Fabian Bravo gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Parrots, who are tied with Sylmar for first place in the Valley Mission League. Ray Pelayo struck out eight for San Fernando.
Verdugo Hills 15, Kennedy 1: Cutlor Fannon had two doubles and four RBIs in the five-inning win. Anthony Velasquez added two singles and four RBIs.
Westlake 9, Agoura 4: Jaxson Neckien hit a three-run home run to power the Warriors.
Thousand Oaks 7, Calabasas 5: Gavin Berigan, Jeff Adams and Cru Hopkins each had two hits for the Lancers.
Oaks Christian 11, Newbury Park 2: Dane Disney contributed three hits in the Marmonte League win. Carson Sheffer had two doubles and three RBIs.
Santa Monica 12, Simi Valley 4: Ryan Breslo and Johnny Recendez had two RBIs and a triple for Santa Monica. Ravi Chernack had three RBIs.
Dana Hills 7, Corona Santiago 0: Gavin Giese finished with eight strikeouts over six innings and gave up one hit for Dana Hills.
Softball
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 10, Sierra Canyon 0: Kelsey Luderer contributed three hits and two RBIs while freshman Ainsley Jenkins threw five scoreless innings.
Chaminade 15, Louisville 2: Norah Pettersen had two hits and four RBIs.
Carson 10, San Pedro 0: Atiana Rodriguez finished with three hits, including a double and triple, and three RBIs.
Huntington Beach 6, El Modena 2: Willow Kellen had three hits for the Oilers.
Murrieta Mesa 15, Chaparral 0: It’s a 16-0 start for the Rams. Tatum Wolff hit two home runs.
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The fiancée of Buffalo Sabres star Rasmus Dahlin received a roaring welcome home in her first appearance of the season Wednesday night, months after undergoing a lifesaving transplant after she suffered heart failure during a vacation in France.
Carolina Matovac, 25, was shown on the jumbotron during Wednesday’s game against the Boston Bruins. Fans cheered as she waved, and Dahlin, who was also shown on the screen in a split, cracked a smile at the crowd’s reaction.
Carolina Matovac and Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres pose on the red carpet at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Feb. 1, 2024. (Nicole Osborne/NHLI via Getty Images)
“Welcome home to Carolina Matovac, the fiancée of our captain Rasmus Dahlin,” the arena announcer said. “She is back with us, attending her first game of the season. The Sabrehood loves you, Carolina.”
In an open letter to fans in September, Dahlin shared that Matovac had been feeling ill for several days during their trip, which led to her experiencing “major heart failure.”
“Fortunately, she received CPR on multiple occasions, and up to a couple of hours at a time to keep her alive, which ultimately saved her life. Without her receiving lifesaving CPR, the result would have been unimaginable. It is hard to even think about the worst-case scenario,” he wrote at the time.
Rasmus Dahlin (of the Buffalo Sabres prepares for a faceoff during a game against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 9, 2025. (Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
Matovac remained on life support for weeks before receiving the transplant in France.
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In January, Matovac revealed she was pregnant when her heart failed, adding that her unborn child was the reason she went to the hospital initially.
“You will always hold a special place in our hearts as our first baby, even though we never had the chance to meet. Our love for you is endless,” she wrote in a post on Instagram on what was supposed to be her due date.
“Though you didn’t get to experience this world, you played a vital role in ensuring that I could continue to be a part of it.”
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin follows the puck in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on April 1, 2025. (Marc DesRosiers/Imagn Images)
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Despite taking some time to be with Matovac as she recovered in their native Sweden, Dahlin is second on the team with 65 points, and the Sabres are on the cusp of ending an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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