Long before Rafael Nadal made clay courts around the world his playground, tennis had Bjorn Borg, who, alongside his dominance at the All-England Club, won a then-record six French Open titles, including a four-peat from 1978 to 1981.
While his record was not only passed by the Spaniard but shattered, as Nadal captured 14 French Open titles between 2005 and 2022, many people still believe that tennis has never seen two players as prolific on the high-bouncing red clay as Nadal and Borg, with both consensually regarded as the two greatest clay-court players of all time.
Borg’s Take on Nadal
Now the Swede, who famously retired at just 26 years of age due to burnout from the sport, has given his point of view on not only who between him and Nadal was better on clay, but who would win in a hypothetical matchup. Speaking to Marca, he explained:
“If I play my best tennis and he does too, Nadal wins. Because we’re talking about a different game. Tennis wasn’t the same in my generation as it was in the era of Rafa, Federer, and Djokovic. What Nadal did at Roland Garros is unique and will never be seen again in sports. It’s the greatest thing that’s ever been done.”
So, while Borg understands that different eras and tennis evolution would play a part in such a discussion, he believes that in this scenario it would be Nadal who comes out on top, calling his dominance on the Parisian clay not only unique but the greatest achievement in sports history.
From a purely statistical standpoint, Nadal would have the edge against virtually anyone at their best on clay. But as Borg alluded to, cross-era comparisons, especially those spanning multiple decades and major technological advancements, make for fun hypotheticals but not much real insight, as the game has changed too drastically for a like-for-like comparison.
Nadal’s Dream Opponent
Interestingly, when Nadal was asked years ago which past player he would like to face, his answer was the legendary Swede, with the prospect of a clay-court showdown being the tipping factor.
“I would have liked to play with Borg, who they always say was unbeatable. Especially on clay. I would have liked to experiment his strength.”
While time machines are still a work in progress and tennis will unfortunately never witness a match between Nadal and Borg on the red clay, the two remain not only the greatest clay-court players in history, but two of the greatest players the sport has ever seen—likely until the end of time.
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