Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe played each other a total of 14 times on the ATP Tour with their H2H standing at 7 wins each (7-7) by the end of their playing careers.
The last Borg vs McEnroe match was at the US Open in 1981, which McEnroe won in four sets (4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3).
Probably their most memorable match to date was in the 1980 Wimbledon Championships, where Bjorn beat John in five sets (1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6).
Borg vs McEnroe H2H Stats
| Bjorn Borg | vs | John McEnroe |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Year born | 1959 |
| 1973 | Year turned Pro | 1978 |
| Right handed | Plays | Left handed |
| Two handed backhand | Backhand | One handed backhand |
| 7 | Matches won | 7 |
| 50% (7/14) | Winning Percentage | 50% (7/14) |
| 1 | Hard courts | 3 |
| 0 | Clay Courts | 0 |
| 5 | Carpet Courts | 3 |
| 1 | Grass Courts | 1 |
| 4 | Finals | 5 |
| 1 | Grand Slam Tournaments | 3 |
Grand Slam H2H
They played each other a total of four times in grand slam tournaments (twice at the US Open and twice at Wimbledon).
Each of their four grand slam matches was in the final with John leading their grand slam H2H 3-1.
| Year | Grand Slam | Round | Winner | Match Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | US Open | Final | J.McEnroe | 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1981 | Wimbledon | Final | J.McEnroe | 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1980 | US Open | Final | J.McEnroe | 7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4 |
| 1980 | Wimbledon | Final | B.Borg | 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6 |
Head to Head by Court Surface
Out of their 14 matches, eight were played on indoor carpet courts, one on indoor hard courts, three on outdoor hard courts, and two on outdoor grass courts.
None of their matches were played on clay.
Indoor Carpet
They played each other a total of eight times on indoor carpet courts with Bjorn leading their H2H on this surface 5-3.
| Year | Tournament | Round | Winner | Match Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | WCT Milan | Final | J.McEnroe | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1980 | Volvo Masters | Group Stage | B.Borg | 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 |
| 1980 | WCT Stockholm | Final | B.Borg | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1979 | Colgate-Palmolive Masters | Semifinals | B.Borg | 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 1979 | WCT Finals | Final | J.McEnroe | 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 |
| 1979 | WCT Rotterdam | Final | B.Borg | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1979 | WCT New Orleans | Semifinals | J.McEnroe | 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 |
| 1979 | WCT Richmond | Semifinals | B.Borg | 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 |
Hard (Indoor and Outdoor)
They played once on indoor hard courts and three times on outdoor hard courts with John leading the H2H on this surface 3-1.
| Year | Tournament | Round | Winner | Match Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | US Open | Final | J.McEnroe | 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1980 | US Open | Final | J.McEnroe | 7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4 |
| 1979 | Toronto | Final | B.Borg | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 1978 | Stockholm | Semifinals | J.McEnroe | 6-3, 6-4 |
Grass
Both of their matches on grass courts were at the Wimbledon Championships with their H2H standing at one win each (1-1).
| Year | Tournament | Round | Winner | Match Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Wimbledon | Final | J.McEnroe | 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1980 | Wimbledon | Final | B.Borg | 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6 |
Matches Played per Year
Their first match was in 1978 at an ATP event in Stockholm, with their last match being at the US Open in New York in 1981.
| Year | Matches | B.Borg | J.McEnroe | H2H |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 1 | – | 1 | 0-1 |
| 1979 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4-3 |
| 1980 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7-4 |
| 1981 | 3 | – | 3 | 7-7 |
Below are match highlights from their 1980 Wimbledon match which some consider being one of the greatest matches of all time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times did Borg face McEnroe?
They played each other a total of fourteen times on the ATP Tour between 1978 and 1981.
Who won more grand slams?
Bjorn won a total of 11 grand slam singles titles while John won a total of 7.
Who won the Wimbledon Borg vs McEnroe Finals?
Bjorn won their first meeting at Wimbledon in 1980 in 5 sets (1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6) while John won Wimbledon the following year, beating Bjorn in four sets in the 1981 Wimbledon championships.