Borg vs McEnroe: the power and the fury
‘There was a quest for perfection and meaning in both of them – I think they were both haunted by a deeper existential pain’
Actors Shia LaBeouf and Sverrir Gudnason play John McEnroe and Björn Borg in ‘Borg vs McEnroe’
The Wimbledon men’s singles of 1980 showcased more than a clash of styles and temperaments. Björn Borg and John McEnroe – the complementary spirits of the age – delivered a famously thrilling final that featured a tie-break of epic dimensions. Borg was steely and methodical in his baseline rigour. McEnroe was rude, aggressive and volatile. It was a conflict between personalities. But it was also about the societies from which the two men emerged.