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)
Sports
Teenage golfer Miles Russell delivers his dad an all-time Father’s Day experience during US Open final round
America 250: Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones was born on March 17, 1902, in Atlanta, Georgia, and became one of the greatest amateur golfers in history. As a teenager, he reached the third round of the U.S. Amateur at age 14, showing early promise. He went on to win 13 major championships, all as an amateur, a record that still stands. In 1930, Jones achieved the
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Miles Russell is the youngest player in the 2026 U.S. Open field at just 17 years old. Teeing it up in a major championship at that age, let alone making the cut as he did at Shinnecock Hills, made for an already unforgettable week for him and his family.
The young man had one final surprise up his sleeve for Sunday’s final round, however, that not only his family will cherish forever, but made plenty of golf fans watching the moment unfold a bit misty-eyed.
After hitting his approach shot into the par-4 18th, Russell’s caddie made his way over to the gallery. He proceeded to take off his caddie bib and hand it and Russell’s golf bag over to Russell’s father, Joe.
Miles Russell plays his tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the UNC Health Championship at Raleigh Country Club on May 29, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) ((Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images))
TEENAGE PHENOM MILES RUSSELL MAKES ENTIRE GOLF WORLD FEEL OLD WITH EYE-POPPING QUOTE AHEAD OF US OPEN DEBUT
According to the NBC broadcast, the entire thing was Russell’s idea. He approached USGA rules officials before teeing off on Sunday to ask them if it was okay to have his dad take over caddying duties for the final hole, and they gave him the green light.
Talk about a Father’s Day gift that may never be topped.
“It was pretty cool,” Russell said after Sunday’s final round. “Just there walking up 18, that’s when he stepped in. It was kind of a fun Father’s Day gift. Kind of cool since it was my first one. Hopefully it’s something he’ll remember for a long time.”
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Amateur Miles Russell of the United States walks across the 16th hole during the first round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 18, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Russell shot 3-over in the opening two rounds of the U.S. Open to make the cut by two shots. During Saturday’s third round, he struggled a bit en route to a 74, but backed it up with a final round score of even par.
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Miles Russell on the seventh tee during the first round of 126th U.S. Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 18, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Russell qualified for this week’s U.S. Open after advancing in the final stage of qualifying in a three-man playoff vying for two spots in the field. He had Charlie Woods, Tiger’s son, on the bag as his caddie during the qualifier. Both Woods and Russell have committed to play college golf at Florida State.
In 2024, Russell became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make the cut in a tournament, eventually finishing T-20
The Lakers will seek to use their 25th pick in Tuesday’s first round of the NBA draft on a player who fills a need on a roster that could have up to nine free agents this summer. Yet the Lakers also are aware that picking that late in the round could leave them selecting the best player available.
They probably will be in search of a center who can be a lob threat or an athletic wing who can play defense and knock down three-pointers, two positions the Lakers crave as they try to build a team around star Luka Doncic that fits best with his style of play.
Names that NBA executives and mock drafts attached to the Lakers are Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance, Texas forward Dailyn Swain and Duke wing Isaiah Evans.
The Lakers spent time in Spain looking at 20-year-old guard Sergio de Larrea, but many NBA scouts see him going later in the first round or even in the second. According to people not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers were impressed by their workout with Purdue point guard Braden Smith. But he’s on the smaller side (6 feet) and played four years in college, leading scouts to believe his upside is not that high and that he’ll be drafted in the second round.
The Lakers don’t have a pick in Wednesday’s second round.
After the Lakers were swept by a deep and athletic Oklahoma City team in the second round of the playoffs, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka outlined what it takes when trying to compete in the uber-tough Western Conference against the likes of the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, who became the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals.
Pelinka looked at how Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell was drafted in the second round and how he flourished in just his second season, especially in the playoffs, in which he averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists in 11 games.
“Depth is really important, athleticism and youth. We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it,” Pelinka said last month during his exit interview with the media. “I think those are some of the key North Stars that we need to look at.
“One of the players that they had who played really well, Ajay Mitchell, they got in the second round. So there’s ways to add to your roster if you commit to doing the hard work and commit to the process of adding the right pieces. … We’ll be doing that through the draft and free agency and through trades. We’ve gotta find a way to have a roster that will compete with any team in the NBA. That’s what we do here.”
The Lakers do have three tradable first-round picks — 2026, 2031 and 2033 — but the latter two can’t be moved until after the draft.
Lakers star LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent and is looking for a deal from the Lakers, while Austin Reaves is expected to opt out of his $14.8-million deal so he can sign a contract with them for up to five years and about $241 million.
Still, the Lakers have to proceed with the draft to find a player.
Texas forward Dailyn Swain, left, vies for a loose ball against Purdue guard Braden Smith during an NCAA tournament game in March.
(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
Swain (6-7) and Evans (6-6) are the kind of athletic wings the Lakers could use, but both might be chosen before the Lakers make their pick.
The 6-9 Quaintance could slide to the Lakers because of health concerns. He played in only four games last season at Kentucky because the team was being cautious following knee surgery after he tore an anterior cruciate ligament when he played at Arizona State.
Scouts still view him as mobile, athletic and young enough — he turns 19 next month — to develop. But, Quaintance will need to rehab his knee and probably won’t be ready for the upcoming season. When healthy, scouts said, he can be the lob threat and defender that Doncic yearns to have.
Sports
Bryce Harper hits for cycle, Kyle Schwarber blasts three homers in Phillies blowout win over Mets
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The Phillies’ turnaround following the dismissal of manager Rob Thomson reached a new milestone when two of the franchise’s biggest stars delivered a historic performance.
Kyle Schwarber launched three home runs, including two in the third inning, while Bryce Harper completed the cycle to add yet another achievement to his accomplished career.
The offensive explosion powered Philadelphia to a 15-3 rout of the New York Mets on Saturday, as the Phillies continued their surge and received a signature performance from two of the game’s most recognizable stars.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber celebrates his home run with Bryce Harper during the third inning against the New York Mets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 20, 2026. (Chris Szagola/AP)
Schwarber’s first home run traveled 456 feet, while his second blast of the third inning measured 457 feet off Mets reliever Cionel Pérez.
He capped his night with a two-run homer in the seventh inning. Schwarber’s major league-leading home run total climbed to 28, and the performance marked the fifth three-homer game of his career.
Cristopher Sanchez allowed one earned run in six innings to lower his ERA to 1.80.
It’s his 23rd straight start at Citizens Bank Park in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer, the second-most such starts by a pitcher at the same ballpark in MLB history since 1913, trailing only Jacob deGrom’s 24 at Citi Field for the Mets from Sept. 9, 2019 to Aug. 31, 2022.
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Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies leave the field after defeating the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 20, 2026. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Schwarber is the 67th player in major league history and second this season with multiple home runs in an inning, joining Houston’s Yordan Alvarez on June 12.
Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to hit two home runs in an inning, along with Trea Turner (Aug. 19, 2023), Von Hayes (June 11, 1985) and Andy Seminick (June 2, 1949).
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 20, 2026. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Harper hit a solo home run in the first inning, his 16th of the year. He doubled and singled in the third, then hit a two-run triple to the gap in left-center field in the fifth for his first career cycle and the 11th in Phillies history.
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The Phillies and Mets will wrap up their three-game series Sunday night, with first pitch set for 7:20 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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