French Open 2021: 40 years after Björn, Leo Borg strikes
Leo Borg, son of Roland Garros' six-time champion Björn Borg, also won the French Open 40 years after his father's last triumph. Even if "only" the first round in the juniors.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jun 07, 2021, 03:32 pm
A five-set win against Ivan Lendl, that was the last mark Björn Borg left in the ashes of Roland Garros in 1981. The sixth triumph on the Bois de Boulogne, in the times before Rafael Nadal, that was a mark that nobody even came close to. The following year, the big Borg was history, the early retirement was calling, the fan base was crying. 40 years after the win against Lendl, a Borg has now won a game at the French Open again: Björn's son Leo, who defeated French Max Westphal 3: 6, 6: 3 and 6: 4 in round one of the junior competition.
Which of course ends the parallels again. Because Björn was number one in the first major of a season in 1081, Leo Borg is not even seeded among the young men. The next task of the youngster is also interesting from a German-speaking point of view: It is against Max Rehberg, probably the greatest talent of the German Tennis Association.
The path to professional tennis is still a difficult one for Leo Borg: At the moment, the 18-year-old is in position 2062 in the ATP world rankings. While the Italians Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, who are only a year older, are already causing a stir in the professional circus. On the other hand: hardly any other young player, thanks to his pedigree, has a heavier backpack to carry than Leo Borg. Not even Sebastian Korda. And his father also won a Grand Slam tournament.
Here is the individual table for the juniors
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