Gods of Tennis

Narrator: This is the inside story of how, in the seventies and eighties, a cast of unapologetic mavericks revolutionized the tranquil world of tennis.

John McEnroe: You can't be serious.

You cannot be serious!

McEnroe, voice-over: I would say, on some level, there were some anger issues.

Martina Navratilova: Are you supposed to, like, be demure and blend in?

**** that.

Ha ha ha!

Narrator: On the court, they were geniuses.

Announcer: Oh, I don't believe it.

Narrator: Off it, they were superstars... Woman: Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King.

Who's got star presence?

They have.

Man: Bjorn Borg.

Woman: Bjorn Borg.

Woman 2: Bjorn Borg.

Navratilova: Borg was a superstar.

Man 2: Borg was sex personified.

The guy was unbelievable.

Woman 3: He was in a different league.

I mean, he wouldn't have looked at me.

Bjorn Borg: If you say "sex god," I hope I was popular for my tennis.

Ha ha!

Announcer: That's it!

Tennis was absolutely massive.

Narrator: at a time when the sports world was embracing historic cultural change.

Man 3: Arthur had wanted South Africans to see a free Black man.

You had to be beyond reproach.

Billie Jean King: Sports are a microcosm of society.

It reflects what's going on in the world.

Narrator: The spotlight fell on Wimbledon, the world's oldest tennis tournament.

Woman 4: It provides a stage for brutal gladiatorial combat that's disguised as a vicar's tea party.

McEnroe: Here's a news flash.

If I hadn't been as good as I was, no one would have given a damn.

[Cheering] Narrator: In 1981, the Royal wedding captivated the world.

Reporter: He said, "You look wonderful."

She said, "Wonderful for you."

Narrator: Interest in Lady Diana's fairytale marriage had become a global obsession... [Blows whistle] and a fan frenzy had even hit Wimbledon, as two of its greatest stars were transforming the game.

John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg were the poster boys of an exciting new era of eighties tennis, and the nation was enchanted.

Woman: Tennis became a soap opera.

The fun had arrived.

[Shouting indistinctly] Woman: That's what sells papers.

A good serve doesn't sell a paper.

Man: My earliest memories of Wimbledon would be McEnroe versus Borg.

It was an interesting period, when tabloids started moving celebrity stories onto the front page.

Narrator: The ice-cool Swede was after his sixth Wimbledon title, but faced the hotheaded American in an epic final.

[Indistinct chatter] Man: McEnroe became the anti-hero.

He threatened the establishment.

Borg had become the establishment.

He was the guy that won every year.

It's about time someone new, refreshing came in, like McEnroe, and put a bit of oomph into tennis.

Sue Mott: It was dubbed "Ice Man versus the Volcano."

Man: Everybody knew John McEnroe.

I mean, I respected him for the tennis, but it was really from breaking the establishment and losing his ####.

Dan Maskell: Well, a tremendous expectancy here, of course, all round the Centre Court.

Lady Diana Spencer paying her third official visit to the championships.

And here comes McEnroe, Borg, and the little man in the middle in the white jacket carrying that heavy load.

Announcer: Absolutely marvelous atmosphere.

And it's sure to put both the players on their mettle.

[Spectators chanting indistinctly] I've never seen or heard anything like it in my life, Dan.

I don't think in any arena, except perhaps at Wembley Stadium before a Cup final.

McEnroe, voice-over: At that time, I hadn't really been in soccer crowds or, you know, the way they act in England.

They're rooting for their team no matter who it is.

It's different in tennis because it's an individual sport, so you have to have some sort of preconceived notion about what you're coming to see.

"Borg is, uh, he's so cool.

"He's better-looking than McEnroe, so I'm going to root for him."

Or, "McEnroe, I like him because he rebels against authority."

[Cheering and applause] [Fan shouts indistinctly] Umpire: Quiet, please, ladies and gentlemen.

Quiet, please.

McEnroe to serve.

Play.

[Cheering and applause] 15-love.

Borg: We're fighting to be the number-one player in the world.

There was a great rivalry between us.

Umpire: Game to McEnroe.

McEnroe, voice-over: I felt like, you know, my time had come.

I'm going to do whatever it takes.

Announcer: Well, John McEnroe there really serving very well indeed.

He only failed once to get the first delivery in, and I've never seen him look quite so determined.

Borg, voice-over: The most tougher thing was mentally for me, because you're by yourself out there.

No one is helping you.

Maskell: Borg, his first service game.

[Cheering and applause] Umpire: 15-love.

Announcer: Real misjudgment by McEnroe there.

It was about a foot in, that ball.

Man: Tennis is played in the mind.

It's what's going on between the ears that counts.

McEnroe, voice-over: That's what competitive sports is all about.

I mean, you don't know what's going to happen.

[Cheering and applause] Announcer: And that's very close.

McEnroe is in doubt.

Umpire: Deuce.

Announcer: Let's have a look at that again.

Now, is he going to dip on to the line or beyond?

Maskell: Extremely close.

McEnroe really biting his lips not to say a word.

Narrator: McEnroe's fiery demeanor brought in the ticket sales, but the icon of this new generation of A-listers was on the other side of the net.

Announcer: And I think he's just sneaking a look here up at the crowd at some of his supporters.

Woman: When did all the celebrity start in tennis?

We decided it was when Bjorn Borg came along.

Newsreader: Borg arrived at Wimbledon to scenes of near riot.

Police have to create a path for him to every court through mobs of girls who want to touch him.

Narrator: By the time 17-year-old Bjorn Borg set foot for his Wimbledon debut, news had already spread of the racket-wielding stud from Sweden.

[Wolf whistle] Navratilova: Borg was a superstar.

We came out on the tour at the same time, and he was a star before he ever won a match, really.

Newsreader: This Borg, he's only 17.

He has the shy, vulnerable look that inspires young hearts to flutter.

Man: It's the most remarkable thing because in those days, there was no internet, there were no cell phones, and yet somehow he got this group of young girls coming out there, and they were screaming.

Andrew Castle: Borg was sex personified.

The guy was unbelievable.

I mean, his body, his clothing, his hair.

You ask Sue Barker [Chuckles] about Bjorn Borg.

Interviewer: Did you fancy him?

Sue Barker: I did back then, but he was, like, in a different league.

I mean, he wouldn't have looked at me.

When you saw who was looking at him, trust me, he wouldn't have looked at me.

Borg, voice-over: I would lie if I said I don't like it, but I don't need attention.

Definitely not.

That's not me.

Reporter: Bjorn Borg is locked in the dressing room, unable to walk about, lest he be mobbed by teenyboppers.

Narrator: Growing up as an only child at his parents' grocery store near Stockholm, young Borg became a tennis sensation, representing Sweden at 15 and winning Junior Wimbledon a year later.

Borg: I gave 100% to tennis-- practice, sleeping, eating, playing matches.

That's what I did for so many years.

Nothing else.

[Cheering and applause] Maskell: Taylor versus Borg.

Narrator: Borg made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in '73 against esteemed Brit Roger Taylor.

[Applause] Narrator: Borg narrowly lost in five grueling sets with his impressive display prompting a Wimbledon first.

Announcer: And even on the Centre Court, we've got the teenagers rushing on.

I've never seen this before in my life.

Quite unbelievable.

Borg, voice-over: I hope I was popular for my tennis, that I play good tennis because that's the most important thing.

Narrator: So far, Borg's success hadn't matched the heights of his popularity, but in the heat wave of 1976, Borg survived a tricky semifinal against Roscoe Tanner, and the opportunity to make his mark at Wimbledon had arrived.

Borg, voice-over: Wimbledon was, for me, was the greatest, biggest tournament in the world and for many players, too.

Grass courts, tradition.

It was a huge thing.

[Cheering and applause] Maskell: But this is something that before the final at Wimbledon, the finalists, of course, had to suffer, surrounded by the world's photographers.

And there is young Borg.

Narrator: Borg was in his first Wimbledon final against the game's original bad boy, Romanian Ilie Nastase.

Richard Evans: Ilie Nastase is one of the most fascinating characters the game has ever seen.

In the cockpit of competition, he couldn't control himself.

The pressure got to him.

Evans: That was the kind of character he was.

Maskell: Borg has a most enviable temperament, and he's highly respected for the courteous and mature manner in which he's endured the teenage idolatry and worldwide popularity.

So all set for what is likely to be a magnificent final.

[Applause] Mott: Wimbledon loved Borg.

He never misbehaved.

He emoted not one iota on the court.

Everything seemed to be strapped under his headband, and he was not going to let anything loose.

Umpire: Nastase leads 3 games to none.

Maskell: And I think we're seeing vintage Nastase at the moment.

[Cheering and applause] So Borg owns his account.

Narrator: Despite a faltering start, Borg's composure began to give him the edge.

If you ever watch Borg play and you want to learn something about tennis, don't watch his strokes, just watch his footwork.

He was very quick, very fast, and was always in position, even on grass.

Narrator: From three games down, Borg went on to win the first two sets, 6-4, 6-2.

Announcer: Oh, what a play.

Donald Dell: He had a focus, a concentration level that you couldn't break.

It was almost like he was hypnotized.

Nothing would bother him.

[Cheering] Dell: He never smiled.

He never got mad.

He just played.

And he became a machine.

I mean, you couldn't beat him.

Maskell: Oh, that's a glorious shot.

[Applause] John Lloyd: One time, I was up 6-love, 2-love against him, and I looked across the net at him.

And he's not arrogant, but he's kind of looking at you, and that scares the living crap out of you.

Maskell: Championship point for Borg.

Borg, voice-over: You had a dream as a kid, when you grow up playing tennis, when you started to play tennis, and finally, you're here is a huge thing.

Maskell: That's it.

Borg.

Borg, voice-over: Here I am winning Wimbledon for the first time, and then that was the most beautiful and best memories I ever have in my life.

Announcer: Sweden's national hero, Bjorn Borg, has won Wimbledon at the age of 20 years and 27 days, 6-4, 6-2, 9-7.

Narrator: Until now, Borg's godlike status was practically single-handedly transforming tennis.

But at Wimbledon the following summer, all that was about to change.

[Applause] Announcer: Somehow everything came right for this Jubilee centenary.

It was right that the Queen should be there for the first time since 1962.

Narrator: On Court one, an unknown 18-year-old American was in the quarterfinals and about to shatter the tranquility of Wimbledon forever.

McEnroe: Oh, no.

Come on.

Come on.

You gotta be kidding me.

McEnroe: You're quite sure?

7-all.

Oh--the ball was so far in.

I mean, you see it in?

McEnroe, voice-over: There was people that looked at me strangely, like, "Who's this kid from Queens, New York?"

And I was sort of like, "Boy, these people are different over here."

Mott: He really did cause more upset than I think Che Guevara could have caused if he'd come up the High Street with a tank.

Umpire: Game and second set again.

Announcer: McEnroe, as you can see, is very distraught about the whole situation.

I was like, I don't get this, but they don't get me either.

Narrator: John McEnroe was unlike any player before.

Unlike Borg, McEnroe's emotions were always center court.

Would you please serve?

Borg, voice-over: John was different.

For him to play good tennis, he had to express his emotions and feelings on the court.

Announcer: Just out again.

Out!

[Crowd ohs] Dell: He was the American you always loved to hate but a great talent, very young and very feisty.

McEnroe, voice-over: I'm the more normal guy that walks out on a tennis court and is frustrated.

Bjorn, I was always amazed that he could keep his composure as well as he did.

You know, I thought he was the anomaly, not me.

Announcer: And let's see what he's made of, as McEnroe serves for this match.

Yeah!

Announcer: He's done it.

A wonderful win.

[Cheering and applause] Narrator: McEnroe won his tricky five-set match, but it was his behavior that made headlines.

For many, the impulsive new kid on the block was becoming an unlikely hero.

Woman: Along comes John McEnroe, and he's loud and brash and sweary, and my mother hates him, so consequently, I love him.

Ha ha!

Jonathan Ross: And McEnroe was, like, probably the first person to really sort of draw people into the game just on the basis of him being such a wonderful dick.

Narrator: By now, McEnroe was rivaling Borg in the popularity contest as tennis became big business.

Navratilova: You know, the seventies were pretty amazing 'cause that's when the sport really exploded.

You had Borg and McEnroe.

Here comes Tracy Austin and Chris Evert, of course.

Just massive personalities.

Dell: Tennis is a totally global sport.

The money was coming in for a top player.

You got to be a top player.

Narrator: And with movie star looks and style on the court, Borg was on top and was now one of the highest paid sports stars in the world.

On the court, unstoppable.

Announcer: That's it.

An absolutely magnificent win.

And he prays to the gods.

[Cheering and applause] Narrator: As the seventies drew to a close, Borg won three consecutive titles... but his dominance was about to be challenged as an exciting new decade began.

Reporter: This year on Centre Court, there's been a subtle change in the setting.

For the first time, the service lines will fall under the unblinking eye of an electronic linesman.

Man: The ball travels at 176 feet a second, and no eye can possibly see it.

I doubt whether anybody wants to see a better player beaten either by a mistake on the part of an official or tantrums on the part of another player.

[Cheering and applause] Narrator: Borg's unrelenting dominance easily secured his place in another Wimbledon final, but who he'd play-- that was the question.

John McEnroe was desperate for a chance at Borg, but first, he would have to beat the equally volatile Jimmy Connors.

Announcer: And which one is going to get through?

[Applause] Evans: Jimmy Connors was a very different character.

He was so competitive.

McEnroe's problem was all about what he thought was fair or not fair.

Narrator: Late into the first set, McEnroe was about to challenge the officials.

Can I have the referee, please... Umpire: No, no... McEnroe: I'd like the referee.

I feel--I feel I have a right... Announcer: McEnroe's complaining because he thought he'd served an ace, and it was called a fault, but then the umpire overruled the call and gave a let.

I'm not playing on until you get the referee.

Umpire: Mr. McEnroe, you are getting a public warning.

Now, please play on.

Announcer: And Pat Smythe, the umpire, gives him a public warning, the first time ever on the Centre Court.

Announcer: And a brilliant ace there by McEnroe answers that affair.

Or does it?

He's still very, very angry.

Cash: McEnroe and Connors were not best friends.

Cash: There was lots of gamesmanship-- tying the shoelaces, bouncing the ball, arguing with the umpire when you're tired or things are not going right.

Narrator: After over three hours of cutthroat tennis, McEnroe had gotten the upper hand on Connors and was at match point.

Announcer: Connors has three match points against him.

[Cheering and applause] Announcer: Into the net it goes, and it gives McEnroe the semifinal.

Narrator: McEnroe won the tennis match, but as he headed to his first Wimbledon final, his tantrums had sparked outrage.

Newsreader: The climax of the 1980 championship, and the world waits in anticipation.

John McEnroe, the challenger, the reigning U.S. Open champion, currently Wimbledon's public enemy number one.

Bjorn Borg, the hero, already a four-time champion.

Can he make it five?

Man: You're looking at one of the greatest sporting events of the 20th century.

Borg: When John came to Wimbledon in the beginning, everybody said this is the guy who's going to be an unbelievable, great tennis player in the future.

McEnroe: I had reached a point where I was playing the guy I really wanted to play.

Man: Right.

Harry, let's come out of number 1 Court.

To wrap up, Harry, we go out to McEnroe.

Borg, voice-over: Everyone was saying, "OK, you can win for the fifth time."

That's great, but I want to beat John in the final.

We never played in Wimbledon.

Announcer: Those men's hearts are fluttering, I can assure you.

[Cheering and applause] Announcer 2: And we're quite sure there's going to be a lot of partisanship.

McEnroe, voice-over: I'd be lying if I said "I didn't hear it," or, "I don't care," or whatever it is.

You know, there could be 15,000 people cheering for you, and let's say a thousand are booing you.

You're focusing on them.

Announcer: And there in the middle of the picture with the white hat is John McEnroe Senior.

Announcer 2: And Mariana Simionescu, Bjorn's fiance, there, looking somewhat pensive and rather worried.

Maskell: So we will need a lot of authority from Peter Harvey in the chair.

Peter Harvey: Quiet, please, ladies and gentlemen.

Fan: Here we go, McEnroe!

Ladies and gentlemen, will you please not call out as a player is about to serve?

Thank you.

Maskell: So, for the 94th Wimbledon men's singles final, here goes McEnroe.

15-love.

[Cheering and applause] Malcolm Folley: You had the calmest man in tennis, one side of the net, in Bjorn Borg... Harvey: 15-all.

and the greatest volleyer the game's ever seen at this point in John McEnroe.

Announcer: Yes, lovely volley.

[Applause] Narrator: McEnroe's ruthless serve and volley game was immediately causing Borg problems.

Cash: You were helpless playing against John.

His serve was so accurate, he is lightning fast.

I've never to this day played anybody like that.

Judge: Net.

Maskell: And Borg really having difficulty with this left-handed service.

He was a genius on the court.

Harvey: Game, set, McEnroe.

Narrator: Against all odds, he won the first set against the four-time champion in just 27 minutes.

[Cheering and applause] Harvey: Quiet, please.

McEnroe to serve.

Narrator: But despite McEnroe's impressive start, Borg's baseline game evened the score.

[Applause] McEnroe, voice-over: I got this great start, and then there was, like, a letdown.

It was depressing.

Narrator: As Borg worked his way into the match, he raced ahead to win the next set.

[Cheering and applause] Announcer: The bad error from McEnroe there gives Borg a lead of 2 sets to 1.

Narrator: In the fourth set, Borg was one point from his fifth Wimbledon title... [Cheering and applause] but McEnroe had other ideas.

Come on!

[Cheering and applause] Maskell: A really marvelous recovery.

McEnroe fought Borg to six games-all and brought the match to a tiebreak.

Announcer: And what an exciting climax building up here.

Evans: The tiebreak was how you end a set if it reaches six games-all.

You play the first to 7 with a two-point margin.

In other words, you can't win it 7-6.

You have to win it 8-6.

Narrator: What happened next would go down in Wimbledon history.

"I should have won that match before the tiebreak."

That's what I was thinking.

"But here we are in the tiebreaker, so we have to deal with it."

Announcer: And the tension up there is almost too great to bear.

[Cheering and applause] Harvey: Love-1.

McEnroe, voice-over: The tiebreaker adds stress to both players, but it's more exciting.

Announcer: And it's all about nerves now.

[Cheering and applause] Announcer: Well played.

[Cheering and applause] Harvey: 3-all.

[Cheering and applause] It can go on and on forever, hypothetically.

[Cheering and applause] Harvey: 7-6.

Announcer: And there's the greatness of the man.

Narrator: Borg was the first to reach 7 points and just needed one more to take the title.

McEnroe, voice-over: So it adds to the anxiety, and it's sort of who's best able to sort of keep-- keep it together and play at that sort of high level when you really need it.

Announcer: Oh, I don't believe it.

Borg, voice-over: Tennis is such a mental sport.

I mean, sometimes you go crazy on the court, but mentally, you need your head to be straight and to be focused and concentrated.

Narrator: After nearly three hours of intense tennis, Borg was matching McEnroe point for point.

[Cheering and applause] Announcer: I think if this were a heavyweight boxing contest, they'd stop the fight.

Harvey: 8-all.

The tennis was amazing.

[Crowd ohs] Folley: The drama just went up another notch.

But Bjorn, he couldn't get there.

[Cheering and applause] McEnroe, voice-over: Every shot sort of is magnified, especially when I'm just trying to stay in the match.

You know, it's over if I lose it.

McEnroe, voice-over: You want to bring energy.

That's what it's all about.

You've got to kick it in another gear.

Narrator: At over 20 minutes, the tiebreak was breaking Wimbledon records.

But at 17-16, McEnroe had another chance to take the match to a fifth set.

[Fans speaking excitedly] Announcer: Yes, 2 sets-all.

[Cheering and applause] Narrator: Borg and McEnroe were now tied.

Whoever won the final fifth set would win Wimbledon.

Harvey: Final set.

Quiet, please.

Borg serving.

Announcer: Borg to open the fifth set.

Folley: We were all thinking, you know, "How close can this be?

"Can John McEnroe cause the upset of the century by dethroning the champion?"

[Cheering and applause] McEnroe, voice-over: I mean, I had a chance to break.

And then that's when I thought, "OK, I got him.

I think he's going to let down."

Harvey: 15-30.

McEnroe, voice-over: And then I just started to feel, "Oh, God.

It looks like it didn't even bother him."

[Cheering and applause] Borg, voice-over: After winning the first game, I was more composed.

McEnroe, voice-over: I started to feel some fatigue.

It was more of an uphill battle than...than I wanted.

Narrator: After a punishing game going head-to-head for the last three sets, it was becoming a battle of stamina.

[Applause] [Crowd ohs] Folley: Borg, he practiced five hours a day.

John didn't train to that degree of intensity, and that is the difference.

Narrator: At 6 games to 7 in the final set, Borg was one point away from the title.

Announcer: Borg, he now has championship point.

Announcer: That's it!

Borg.

Borg, voice-over: I played in one of the greatest matches in Wimbledon history.

My dream came through.

[Cheering and applause] Narrator: Borg became the first man in the modern era to win five consecutive Wimbledon titles.

Folley: John McEnroe was disappointed, and he had to endure the sight of Bjorn Borg lifting the trophy again.

Announcer: Well, there's father McEnroe and the sad McEnroe.

Dell: I was doing commentary.

I said, "John McEnroe lost a tennis match today, but he won the nation."

And I really meant that.

America realized then John McEnroe was here to stay and was for real.

McEnroe, voice-over: It sucked that I lost, but I realized I got to get fitter, I got to want it more.

It made me, uh, hungrier.

Borg: So I'm here at Marbella in Spain this week to do some commercials.

Narrator: The 1980 final put Borg in the forefront of tennis' superstars, whose private lives were now in the spotlight.

Recently married, admirers even started targeting his home with fan mail.

Interviewer: What sort of things were they saying in those letters?

Well, different things, except that "I love you" and "I want to meet you."

And they give the telephone numbers.

They send pictures all the time.

Cash: I cannot imagine what it would be like to be Bjorn Borg.

It was invasive for me, and I had a fraction of what they had.

These were pop stars with a tennis racket.

That's where we'd arrived at.

We wanted to know what John McEnroe was having for breakfast, what he was doing in the nighttime when he wasn't on the court.

Miriam Margolyes: I think fame can damage people, but it can also release them and...nourish them.

It depends what kind of a character you have.

Narrator: As another Wimbledon loomed, Borg stuck to strict routines to deal with the pressure, which just made it easier for fans to track him down.

Folley: Because Borg was successful the first year he came, he always stayed at the same hotel.

A hundred girls every night or more chanted for Bjorn and screamed when they saw him.

Bjorn lived in his room.

Borg, voice-over: I could never be alone.

I could never be private.

I could never be by myself.

Cash: I've never seen Bjorn Borg get upset once.

That's not human.

Mott: He must have felt the pressure of the world on his shoulders.

And we don't know what he was doing with that pressure.

Reporter: The slightly alarming process of putting John McEnroe together took place just an hour before the man himself was due to arrive.

Narrator: Life for John McEnroe was very different.

Being a celebrity was still a novelty, but the weight of expectation was never far away.

Reporter: You realize that Bjorn Borg's in the other room, in the heroes' room... What is this?

Is this the losers' room or something?

This is for those who haven't quite made it yet as heroes.

Well, you know, I mean, he's been around a little longer than I have, so I guess he deserves to be there.

Do you think you might be in there after Wimbledon?

Well, I'll let you know in a couple weeks.

Narrator: The 1981 Wimbledon championship was notoriously bad-tempered, even by McEnroe's standards.

Interviewer: How many times do people shout out "You cannot be serious"?

Ha ha!

I would say it's pretty safe to say that a day doesn't go by where it doesn't happen numerous times.

Narrator: McEnroe was determined to redeem himself and win his first Wimbledon title.

In the first match of his campaign against the number 40-ranked Tom Gullikson, his patience was immediately tested.

[Applause] Announcer: And the call.

Umpire: 15-love.

The ball was good.

McEnroe, voice-over: Tennis players are hitting balls-- you know, thousands, millions of balls.

I don't know how many balls I've hit in the course of my life, but you sort of get an instant feel for having a pretty good idea where the ball is a lot better than someone who's a lot older and, you know, may be tired or have to go to the bathroom or something.

Narrator: It wasn't long before the officials knew they were in a McEnroe match.

Announcer: Oh, that one really shot, and McEnroe claims it was a fault.

What was that?

What was that... Umpire: 3-4... How was that a fault?

The ball was on the line... Why?

Because that thing called it in?

What is that?

That call was good.

Cash: The line calls were horrendous back in those days.

There'd be balls that were this far out were called in.

[Applause] Peter West: I thought that was on the line, Bill.

Did you?

Bill Threlfall: My sympathies are 101% with McEnroe there, Peter.

If only he wouldn't go on about it quite so much.

McEnroe, voice-over: Part of the frustration is that I knew I was right and they wouldn't just say, like, "Look, I missed it," you know.

"Sorry."

You know, just once say that.

Narrator: During a tense tiebreak in the first set, the umpire ruled McEnroe's serve out.

It would become one of the most iconic moments in tennis history.

Umpire: It was too long to the stripe.

The ball--the chalk came up all over the place.

It was a bit of a spread, Mr. McEnroe.

You can't be serious, man.

You cannot be serious!

That ball was on the line.

Chalk flew up.

It was clearly in.

[Fans applauding] How can you possibly call that out?

How many are you gonna miss?

So he's walking over.

Everyone knows it's in in this whole stadium, and you call it out?

Explain that to me, will you?

The linesman called a fault because the ball was on this side of the court...

The chalk came up.

It doesn't matter.

No, no.

The very fact is there is a spread of chalk, as you can see, Mr. McEnroe.

West: Tennis really does have to uphold authority in some shape or form.

McEnroe, voice-over: It's ironic because my dad represented me, and he was a lawyer, so he'd say, "Why do you question these calls?

You're better than them.

Just go out and play."

And he'd say it, like, "You're better than them!"

You know, he'd scream at me.

"But if you do question a call, just make sure you don't curse."

"Oh, OK." West: Fred Hoyles has been refereeing at Wimbledon for many years.

We're not going to have a point taken away because this guy's an incompetent fool.

You know that?

That's what he is.

Ross: You know, the Britishness of Wimbledon is kind of that stiff upper lip, "OK, that was "clearly a wrong call, but I won't say anything "because it would be untoward and might make others uncomfortable."

And McEnroe was like, "#### that."

[Mix of cheering and applause, booing] Threlfall: So McEnroe has lost the point.

Folley: It was going to be a very angst-ridden Wimbledon because John had put so much pressure on himself to win.

[Fans exclaim] [Applause] Umpire: 15-30.

You saw that serve in... [indistinct].

Service now, Mr. McEnroe.

You guys are the absolute pits of the world.

You know that?

I'm going to award a point against you, Mr. McEnroe.

[Cheering and applause] Threlfall: That's it.

Umpire: Game, set, and match for McEnroe.

Narrator: McEnroe won the match but became the first player in Wimbledon history to be fined for bad behavior.

[Mix of cheering and applause, booing] McEnroe, voice-over: You know, growing up in New York, you know, there's energy everywhere you turn, including my household.

Loud dinner table would be a safe way to put it, but my parents loved each other, you know, so I didn't look at that as, like, this was, like, a bad thing, that you raised your voice and then you sort of got over it.

And then they were, you know, hugging each other.

I was like, "OK, this is normal."

When you're a kid sort of thrust into sort of a man's world, that makes it a little bit tougher because you're sort of trying to grow up and figure it out.

And I believe I was misunderstood.

Mr. McEnroe, have you ever sat down your son as a father and told him what you think and asked him to behave?

3,000 times?

Ha ha!

He's not Bjorn Borg.

He's never going to be... Would you like him to be as icy as Borg?

No.

I wouldn't.

I wouldn't like him to be that way, because I believe that Bjorn is the way he is because of his own innate temperament, his own situation.

John is entitled to be John McEnroe.

He's not supposed to be Bjorn Borg, and he's not supposed to be Arthur Ashe.

He's supposed to be John McEnroe.

And if that on occasion is going to rile somebody or him or me, well, that's the way it is.

Narrator: Despite the early-round tantrums, McEnroe curbed his attitude to make it to his second successive final against his great rival.

McEnroe: I'm not going to be considered a champion in a real sense of the word until I'm able to go out there and not let those things bother me.

Announcer: Let's listen to the crowd out here on Centre Court.

The two super men come out, and Borg attempting to achieve a modern miracle, winning the championship six times in succession, and McEnroe, hoping to overcome the disappointment of last year, when he was beaten by Borg.

[Crowd chanting indistinctly] Announcer: Well, tremendous expectancy here, of course, all around Centre Court.

Borg, voice-over: I knew that, John, in his mind, that, "This time, I'm going to beat Bjorn."

He wanted to win so badly.

I wanted to win, too.

I mean, who cannot want to play Wimbledon final?

You don't want to lose.

[Cheering and applause] Umpire: 15-love.

Borg, voice-over: He had good hands, good wrists.

That means that you can do a lot of different shots, a lot of different things with your tennis rackets.

He could do anything.

Umpire: Game to McEnroe.

Narrator: McEnroe started confidently, but heckling from the excited crowd was disrupting his game.

Umpire: Quiet, please.

Judge: Fault.

[Applause] Announcer: I have never seen him look quite so determined.

[Fans shouting, indistinct] McEnroe, voice-over: I'd gone in there with, you know, this idea of trying, "Just look, just play your tennis."

It felt like it would take everything I had to win.

Narrator: Despite McEnroe's determined efforts, Borg rallied and won the first set.

McEnroe: Yeah.

Umpire: Game and first set.

[Cheering] Narrator: But McEnroe was finding his form and fought back to win the second.

Announcer: Well played.

Umpire: Game and second set.

Narrator: So far, the New Yorker was a match for the cool Swede's game, but losing 4 games to 5 in the third set, McEnroe's patience was wearing thin.

[Applause] Announcer: So that was a close one.

[Fans speaking excitedly] Announcer: Well, he has overruled Bob Jenkins.

He's overruled.

Umpire: The ball was out.

McEnroe has only just heard it.

[Cheering and applause] It became a fascinating thing to see, When's he going to lose it?

Because you knew he would.

Announcer: And the whole world's gone back against him.

Umpire: 15-40.

McEnroe, voice-over: I got a pretty bad call late in the third set.

You know, what good could it have possibly done me at that time had I questioned the call?

It would have been like, "There he goes again."

Anything that I did while I played him would be magnified because he never changed his expression.

Announcer: And he's accepting the decision.

Umpire: He called it good.

I called it out.

Yes.

[Fans speaking indistinctly] Announcer: What a tough moment for young McEnroe.

Fan: Come on, John!

McEnroe, voice-over: I was frustrated, and--that was the closest I came to sort of questioning it.

And then I go, "I've gotten this far."

He had to show the world, "This is me.

I'm not a brat.

I'm a great tennis player."

Announcer: McEnroe really biting his lips not to say a word.

[Cheering and applause] [Louder cheering] McEnroe, voice-over: You know, I got people applauding me for not blowing my top.

I didn't have to do anything except play, just focusing on the tennis.

[Cheering and applause] McEnroe, voice-over: He knew what I was going to do to him.

I knew what he was going to do.

[Crowd ohs] McEnroe, voice-over: At that point, it was just, you know, who was emotionally embracing it more.

Announcer: He's done it.

Umpire: Game and third set.

[Cheering] Narrator: McEnroe won the third set with Borg uncharacteristically struggling, and just one set away from losing his Wimbledon crown.

Folley: Bjorn was definitely playing with less desire.

Judge: Out!

Announcer: Just out.

Game to McEnroe.

McEnroe, voice-over: That's when I was like, "OK, now you got to put the foot on the gas here."

I was up 2 sets to 1 as opposed to being down 2 sets to 1, which was a big difference against a guy like Bjorn, who's so fit.

[Cheering and applause] Narrator: After a close battle, McEnroe had the upper hand and was at match point.

Just when you think you can't go anymore, you got to try to go more.

Umpire: Quiet, please.

Announcer: Game, set, match.

He's done it.

He's done it.

McEnroe, voice-over: Somehow it happens.

[Cheering and applause] McEnroe, voice-over: When you think you can't do something, it turns out sometimes you can do it.

Announcer: Match to McEnroe, 3 sets to 1: 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4.

McEnroe, voice-over: Because I'm sure every kid that ever hits a tennis ball, or in any sport, wants to be the best at what they're doing.

[Cheering and applause] So it can't get any better than that.

Announcer: And the happy, happy father there.

McEnroe, voice-over: "Oh, my God.

This is the greatest feeling I ever had in my life."

And then the next thought I had was like, "I want to come back and win this again."

Narrator: Borg hadn't lost Wimbledon for six years and tried to bypass his media duties shortly after his shock defeat.

Dell: Borg won't talk to anybody.

He was supposed to do the BBC and do some, you know, press, and he goes in the locker room.

So he shut the door, locked the door.

He won't come out.

So I go in, I go to Borg.

I knock on the door.

I said, you know, "Bjorn, this is Donald.

"You know, you got to talk to me.

"You got to do an interview.

You can't lose and not do an interview."

He said, "I'm not doing any interviews."

Borg only did one interview that day and then took off.

Interviewer: Well, Bjorn, the thing you've dreaded has happened.

I just wonder if it feels as horrible as you thought it might have done.

Borg: That's true.

I've been feeling a lot of pressure and, uh, you know, you know, a lot of people, they-- they expect me to win.

Borg, voice-over: The loss to John in the final was a great match, but mentally, in my mind, I wasn't really there.

Uh, I was very quiet.

I mean, I kept a lot of emotions inside.

I was not focused 100%.

Narrator: In New York, two months later, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg would meet again in the U.S. Open.

McEnroe: I did sense something was weird.

I was like, "God.

He doesn't look like he wants to be out here."

I was like, "What the hell's going on here?"

Narrator: The game was remarkable not because McEnroe won with relative ease but that immediately after the match, Borg made another quick exit.

[Cheering and applause] The shock of Borg's absence was captured in a live broadcast and witnessed by millions across the country.

Man: And the runner-up, Bjorn Borg, is unable to be here to receive the runner-up award, which-- [Crowd boos] McEnroe, voice-over: I was totally, totally shocked.

You know, I was like, "Where the hell did he go?"

Borg, voice-over: After the final, I went straight to the car and left the stadium.

I knew that that was my last big match I'd ever play.

Newsreader: Today, Bjorn Borg put an end to speculation around his tennis future.

He confessed he had lost his motivation.

Borg retires at 26, an early end to an extraordinary career.

Borg, voice-over: You're not supposed to do that-- to step away when you're on the top.

I didn't think about that.

Why I left tennis-- it was like all the time was very difficult to have a private life.

I said, "I cannot handle this situation.

I want to leave this life."

Interviewer: Why didn't you tell John you were quitting?

I knew that I'm going to make him very disappointed, because he didn't want me to step away from the game.

McEnroe: It hurt me personally.

He was at a stage, I believe, where he needed to, you know, take a step back and then, you know, smell the roses a little bit more, and then you come back and hopefully you're fresher and ready to go for another five years, not never play again.

So it was a damn shame is what it was.

Borg, voice-over: I learned a lot to take decision on the tennis court, to make the right decision.

Outside the tennis court, it's-- it's kind of a different world sometimes, and you have to learn to take new decisions.

[Fans speaking indistinctly] Borg, voice-over: I was relieved.

I was happy to leave tennis.

Interviewer: Do you regret quitting at 26?

No, I don't regret.

Not at all.

I'm proud of myself, what I did for tennis and what-- what I did for myself.

I mean, if I had more, like, a kind of a private life, I would have continued to play tennis.

Definitely.

But no regrets.

Uh... No.

No regrets.

"Gods Of Tennis" is available on Amazon Prime video