While I still prefer the Roland Garros and Australian Open, I can’t deny that Wimbledon has its unique charm (the commitment to the all-white equipment being part of it). And as I was viewing the draws on a late Sunday night, before the championship kicked off on Monday, I was thinking of all the values it stands for, from tradition and fair play, to the love for the game. In our modern day mall and Facebook culture, I would love to see more people and the younger generations in particular (having been born at the beginning of the 80’s, I feel that my generation is about the last one brought up differently, instilled with a sound set of values) take notice and practice a more active life and take on open air sports, as part of a healthy, this-is-good-for-me (and not the look-at-me-I-am-on-Facebook kind of way) lifestyle.
Back to tennis though, one of the things I love about my favourite sport is that it incorporates a heavy dose of individual style. On the tennis court you feel sporty and preppy at the same time. And because preppy hails from menswear, here is a look at one of the tennis greatest, Björn Borg. I didn’t get to see him play, but I take my father’s word for it. He tells me the Swedish player defied analysis, as nobody was able to figure out how he won six French Open and five straight Wimbledon titles. He was the first tennis player in the modern era to be able to switch from the slow clay of Paris to the speedy grass courts of London with almost seamless transition. Enygmatic, committed, but never obsessive, Borg was the man who changed tennis, inspiring a generation and a nation (and the likes of Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg) – his use of the double-handed backhand shot had never been seen before, and was to change the way tennis was played from then on. And because we often talk about style on the blog, Borg is also ranked as one of the most stylish men in tennis ever, on and off court. Polo t-shirts, V-neck sweaters, jeans, that headband and an undeniable aloofness? Rightfully so, I would say.
photos: 1-Getty Images (Wimbledon, 1980) / 2,3-GQ.com