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Björn Borg and the Super-Swedes: Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander, and the Golden Era of Tennis
Written by Mats Holm and Ulf Roosvald, Björn Borg and the Super-Swedes explains how a small country with eight million inhabitants like Sweden could become the leading nation in tennis and an example to imitate worldwide. It starts with the legend of Björn Borg, the taciturn and mysterious Swede who became an icon of the ’70s and turned tennis into a global sport, and ends with the Kings of Tennis, the nostalgic senior event part of the Champions Tour held each year in Stockholm.
The 1985 Australian Open final, the first (and only, so far) all-Swedish Grand Slam final in the history of tennis, between Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander, is a prominent focus of the book. The classic Davis Cup encounters between USA and Sweden in 1982 and 1984 and the Borg-John McEnroe rivalry are also key story lines.
The book also includes off-the-court details about the players, painting a well-rounded picture of their personalities, as well as context on the politics of Sweden at the time, including the impact of the Social Democratic Party.
The perfect gift for tennis aficionados and history buffs alike!
“My experience working with Skyhorse is always a positive collaboration . The editors are first-rate professionals , and my books receive top-shelf treatment . I truly appreciate our working relationship and hope it continues for years to come.”
–David Fischer, author
The 1985 Australian Open final, the first (and only, so far) all-Swedish Grand Slam final in the history of tennis, between Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander, is a prominent focus of the book. The classic Davis Cup encounters between USA and Sweden in 1982 and 1984 and the Borg-John McEnroe rivalry are also key story lines.
The book also includes off-the-court details about the players, painting a well-rounded picture of their personalities, as well as context on the politics of Sweden at the time, including the impact of the Social Democratic Party.
The perfect gift for tennis aficionados and history buffs alike!
“My experience working with Skyhorse is always a positive collaboration . The editors are first-rate professionals , and my books receive top-shelf treatment . I truly appreciate our working relationship and hope it continues for years to come.”
–David Fischer, author
- GenresNonfictionSports
288 pages, Hardcover
Published October 2, 2018
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 7, 2024
With the US Open wrapping up this weekend, I decided I should read this tennis book about how tennis in Sweden really took off after Bjorn Borg became a top player and a sensation in the 70's. This book chronicles the rise of tennis in Sweden during the early part of the 20th century because of King Gustaf V's passion for the sport. There are some background stories on Susanne Lenglen, Helen Wills Moody, and Gottfried von Cramm before getting into how Janne Lundqvist became a popular player in Sweden in the 60's. Then we get to the rise of Bjorn Borg in the 70's, and a good section of the book is dedicated to why he was such a cultural icon.
My favorite part of the book was the section after Borg, with the focus switching to Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg and the Swedes that were popular in the 1980's. I grew up watching a lot of matches that they played in the late 80's-early 90's, as I was enthralled with tennis myself. It was fun to read Edberg and Wilander's reactions to the matches I recall seeing when I was much younger. I enjoyed reading about Wilander's willingness to switch tactics at a drop of a hat, like in the '85 Roland Garros final, and try something he really hadn't done before, just because he saw that it had worked for someone else. I always admired Edberg's serve and volley artistry, he really played a unique game of tennis, one that is almost non-existent in today's game. Then comes the sad decline of Swedish tennis. Whereas in the 80's and 90's there were scores of Swedish players in the top 50, today there are no players in the top 100. This book doesn't really go into great detail to answer why this has happened. It does suggest that Swedish society perhaps got bored with so much success in one sport and that the cost of becoming a successful junior player skyrocketed for some reason, but the analysis is lacking.
I liked that the book was not just lavishing praise on these three icons of Swedish tennis. It shows how Borg was willing to chase money over gaining more Grand Slam victories. It explains why Wilander was willing to take risks and accept the consequences of making poor choices. It discusses how Edberg had to overcome his sulky on court behavior. One big drawback of the book is the complete omission of women's tennis in Sweden. It is true that Sweden did not replicate its success in men's tennis on the women's side, with one big exception. Her name is Catarina Lundqvist, and she was ranked as high as number ten in 1985. She was a Wimbledon and Australian Open semifinalist. Including her insights in this book would have made for a much more well developed perspective. Why did women's tennis not take off like men's tennis did? Was it a successful system? Or was it individual effort that mattered more? So Sweden is a European nation of relatively small population that achieved major success in tennis, then it all evaporated. Why not compare this with the Czech Republic, a nation of close to the same size. In the 80's, they produced Ivan Lendl, Martina Navratilova, Hana Mandlikova, Miloslav Mecir, etc. But today, there are still many highly ranked Czech players (Krejickova, Muchova, Kvitova). Why was the Czech Republic able to continually replenish its talent pool, but Sweden was not? As you can see, this is a topic that interested me and this was an easy book for me to stick with.
My favorite part of the book was the section after Borg, with the focus switching to Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg and the Swedes that were popular in the 1980's. I grew up watching a lot of matches that they played in the late 80's-early 90's, as I was enthralled with tennis myself. It was fun to read Edberg and Wilander's reactions to the matches I recall seeing when I was much younger. I enjoyed reading about Wilander's willingness to switch tactics at a drop of a hat, like in the '85 Roland Garros final, and try something he really hadn't done before, just because he saw that it had worked for someone else. I always admired Edberg's serve and volley artistry, he really played a unique game of tennis, one that is almost non-existent in today's game. Then comes the sad decline of Swedish tennis. Whereas in the 80's and 90's there were scores of Swedish players in the top 50, today there are no players in the top 100. This book doesn't really go into great detail to answer why this has happened. It does suggest that Swedish society perhaps got bored with so much success in one sport and that the cost of becoming a successful junior player skyrocketed for some reason, but the analysis is lacking.
I liked that the book was not just lavishing praise on these three icons of Swedish tennis. It shows how Borg was willing to chase money over gaining more Grand Slam victories. It explains why Wilander was willing to take risks and accept the consequences of making poor choices. It discusses how Edberg had to overcome his sulky on court behavior. One big drawback of the book is the complete omission of women's tennis in Sweden. It is true that Sweden did not replicate its success in men's tennis on the women's side, with one big exception. Her name is Catarina Lundqvist, and she was ranked as high as number ten in 1985. She was a Wimbledon and Australian Open semifinalist. Including her insights in this book would have made for a much more well developed perspective. Why did women's tennis not take off like men's tennis did? Was it a successful system? Or was it individual effort that mattered more? So Sweden is a European nation of relatively small population that achieved major success in tennis, then it all evaporated. Why not compare this with the Czech Republic, a nation of close to the same size. In the 80's, they produced Ivan Lendl, Martina Navratilova, Hana Mandlikova, Miloslav Mecir, etc. But today, there are still many highly ranked Czech players (Krejickova, Muchova, Kvitova). Why was the Czech Republic able to continually replenish its talent pool, but Sweden was not? As you can see, this is a topic that interested me and this was an easy book for me to stick with.
September 27, 2018
The rise and fall of the Swedish tennis empire
What are the chances that a book about tennis would be one of my favourite books of the year and also one of the most exciting! BJÖRN BORG AND THE SUPER-SWEDES is absolutely astonishing! I had a few minutes to spare, so I decided to glance at the first chapter to have an idea of what it would be like, and I had to tear myself away: I could not wait to continue reading! The authors – Mats Holm and Ulf Roosvald – establish the atmosphere of the various eras so sharply, it was like taking a voyage through time: the clothes, the fans, the mood, the players; it all came alive on the page. The tennis matches were described in such a way that I felt I was right there, watching them as they happened decades ago, seeing every point with all the energy perfectly conveyed through the prose.
I also learned so many things: the influence of Sweden’s King Gustaf V on bringing tennis to the masses; tennis superstar of the 1930s, and 1940s, Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen – whose name I barely knew, an extraordinary champion, and whose contribution to tennis is immeasurable, as she basically changed the face of tennis. What I appreciated the most is how the authors situated Borg, Wilander, and Edberg and the golden years of Swedish tennis in its historical and political context. The second chapter nearly reads as a political thriller! It boggles the mind how politics played a crucial role in the emergence of Swedish players on the world tennis stage, and subsequently in the fall of the Swedish dominance. The narrative flows exceptionally smoothly, as after Borg, the star players succeeded one another. We also have glimpses of their court adversaries: Connors, McEnroe, Vilas, Nastase, the incomparable Arthur Ashe, and many more. It also provided me some food for thought as to possible reasons behind Prime Minister Olof Palme’s assassination.
BJÖRN BORG AND THE SUPER-SWEDES gives biographical material on all three players, not up to the point of knowing if they preferred peas to carrots, but sufficiently to know them as people, to understand their behaviour, why they played the way they did. Everything that has to do with the game of tennis is truly riveting: the games, naturally, but also the players’ frames of mind, the changes they made in order to win and the importance of tennis in their personal lives. BJÖRN BORG AND THE SUPER-SWEDES is scrupulously well researched – as witnessed by the extensive bibliography provided by the authors – and personal interviews were also conducted with many of the participants.
The writing is excellent, vibrant and lively, and the pacing is faultless, to the point that it might make some thriller authors blush: there is not one little dull moment in the whole book! There are also tons of fabulous pictures, and this is where I found the tiniest little problem – for me anyway. The photos are placed in the middle of the book – more or less between Borg and the rest, so if you don’t want to know the outcome of the tennis matches for Wilander and Edberg – and other Swedish players, I would advise to stop looking at the pictures after Borg, or look at them after you’re done with the book altogether. I must also applaud Cecilia Palmcrantz’s impeccable and entirely transparent translation.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has even only a passing interest in tennis, because it is more than about Borg, Wilander, Edberg. BJÖRN BORG AND THE SUPER-SWEDES chronicles tennis throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and offers a striking look at the game itself through legendary players – Swedish or not – and how it evolved because of Sweden’s involvement. A truly fabulous book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What are the chances that a book about tennis would be one of my favourite books of the year and also one of the most exciting! BJÖRN BORG AND THE SUPER-SWEDES is absolutely astonishing! I had a few minutes to spare, so I decided to glance at the first chapter to have an idea of what it would be like, and I had to tear myself away: I could not wait to continue reading! The authors – Mats Holm and Ulf Roosvald – establish the atmosphere of the various eras so sharply, it was like taking a voyage through time: the clothes, the fans, the mood, the players; it all came alive on the page. The tennis matches were described in such a way that I felt I was right there, watching them as they happened decades ago, seeing every point with all the energy perfectly conveyed through the prose.
I also learned so many things: the influence of Sweden’s King Gustaf V on bringing tennis to the masses; tennis superstar of the 1930s, and 1940s, Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen – whose name I barely knew, an extraordinary champion, and whose contribution to tennis is immeasurable, as she basically changed the face of tennis. What I appreciated the most is how the authors situated Borg, Wilander, and Edberg and the golden years of Swedish tennis in its historical and political context. The second chapter nearly reads as a political thriller! It boggles the mind how politics played a crucial role in the emergence of Swedish players on the world tennis stage, and subsequently in the fall of the Swedish dominance. The narrative flows exceptionally smoothly, as after Borg, the star players succeeded one another. We also have glimpses of their court adversaries: Connors, McEnroe, Vilas, Nastase, the incomparable Arthur Ashe, and many more. It also provided me some food for thought as to possible reasons behind Prime Minister Olof Palme’s assassination.
BJÖRN BORG AND THE SUPER-SWEDES gives biographical material on all three players, not up to the point of knowing if they preferred peas to carrots, but sufficiently to know them as people, to understand their behaviour, why they played the way they did. Everything that has to do with the game of tennis is truly riveting: the games, naturally, but also the players’ frames of mind, the changes they made in order to win and the importance of tennis in their personal lives. BJÖRN BORG AND THE SUPER-SWEDES is scrupulously well researched – as witnessed by the extensive bibliography provided by the authors – and personal interviews were also conducted with many of the participants.
The writing is excellent, vibrant and lively, and the pacing is faultless, to the point that it might make some thriller authors blush: there is not one little dull moment in the whole book! There are also tons of fabulous pictures, and this is where I found the tiniest little problem – for me anyway. The photos are placed in the middle of the book – more or less between Borg and the rest, so if you don’t want to know the outcome of the tennis matches for Wilander and Edberg – and other Swedish players, I would advise to stop looking at the pictures after Borg, or look at them after you’re done with the book altogether. I must also applaud Cecilia Palmcrantz’s impeccable and entirely transparent translation.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has even only a passing interest in tennis, because it is more than about Borg, Wilander, Edberg. BJÖRN BORG AND THE SUPER-SWEDES chronicles tennis throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and offers a striking look at the game itself through legendary players – Swedish or not – and how it evolved because of Sweden’s involvement. A truly fabulous book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 31, 2020
Having read a lot of tennis books in my life, it’s always exciting to find one on a topic that hasn’t been explored ad nauseam. Björn Borg and the Super-Swedes does an excellent job of exploring the roots of and the story of an exceptional period of Swedish tennis dominance that lasted for a couple of decades, placing it in the context of Swedish politics as well as the evolution of Swedish society over that period. It’s a bit of a shame that the story ends a bit abruptly after Stefan Edberg’s final U.S. Open win in 1992, as Sweden produced top-flight players well into the ‘00s, but it’s hard to find anything to fault anything about its coverage of Borg, Wilander and Edberg’s time at the top of the tennis world.
August 2, 2020
If you’re a tennis fan born around early 60’s, this book will
make a lot of sense to you as you’ll be able to remember every single player mentioned in the book.
make a lot of sense to you as you’ll be able to remember every single player mentioned in the book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews