Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe played out an unforgettable rivalry during their careers, winning a combined 18 Grand Slam titles.
Borg claimed 11 of those victories compared to the seven of McEnroe, but they constantly pushed one another over the years.
And they even extended their rivalry into the Laver Cup, captaining the two teams involved since the inception of the event until now.
Borg helped guide Team Europe to five Laver Cup victories, while McEnroe managed to get the better of his rival with Team World on two occasions.
But it was their playing careers that truly caught the eye of tennis fans, who were treated to several high-quality battles between the duo.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver CupBjorn Borg reveals what his relationship with John McEnroe is now like
Borg also experienced an intense rivalry with Jimmy Connors, with the Swede now sharing what the relationship was like among the trio in the prime of their careers.
He told BBC Breakfast: “We respected each other a lot, all three of us. I was friends with Jimmy and John.
“I think Jimmy and John had problems together. They were very irritating to each other, they were not best friends.
“We were fighting for the number one place in the world, to be the best in the world, and to do that, you cannot be the best, best friends.”
And sharing insight into his relationship with McEnroe now, he added: “We are very good friends me and John. But when we see each other and we go out for dinner or whatever, we never talk about our matches.”
Bjorn Borg names the ‘most satisfying’ tennis match he ever played
Fittingly, one of Borg’s all-time favourite matches arrived against McEnroe, who he met in the 1980 Wimbledon final.
The match itself has gone down in Wimbledon history and indeed tennis history, of which Borg said: “Our final was one of the best.
“It was the first time, that long tie-breaker, and all the points, match points, saving points. The match had everything. The most satisfying match I ever played.”
It did indeed have everything, with the Swede battling past the American in unforgettable fashion in London.
McEnroe miraculously saved seven championship points, but Borg eventually won their clash 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(16–18), 8–6.
After almost four hours of action, he secured a fifth successive Wimbledon title and 10th career Grand Slam title.
YearWinnerTournamentRoundSurface1981John McEnroeUS OpenFinalOutdoor Hard1981John McEnroeWimbledonFinalOutdoor Grass1981John McEnroeMilan WCTFinalIndoor Carpet1980Bjorn BorgMastersRound RobinIndoor Carpet1980Bjorn BorgStockholmFinalIndoor Carpet1980John McEnroeUS OpenFinalOutdoor Hard1980Bjorn BorgWimbledonFinalOutdoor Grass1979Bjorn BorgMastersSemifinalIndoor Carpet1979Bjorn BorgTorontoFinalOutdoor Hard1979John McEnroeWCT FinalsFinalIndoor Carpet1979Bjorn BorgRotterdam WCTFinalIndoor Carpet1979John McEnroeNew Orleans WCTSemifinalIndoor Carpet1979Bjorn BorgRichmond WCTSemifinalIndoor Carpet1978John McEnroeStockholmSemifinalIndoor HardBjorn Borg vs John McEnroe head-to-head
And even more fittingly, the pair finished their ATP careers in a stalemate, each winning seven of their 14 meetings.
Nine of those 14 meetings arrived in finals and four came in semifinals, proving just how talented and unbeatable the duo often were.