Around 50 years ago, 19-year-old Bjorn Borg cemented his place in Swedish tennis history.
Borg, who went on to capture 11 Grand Slam titles before his first retirement in 1983, was instrumental in his nation’s first-ever Davis Cup success.
In 1975, Sweden faced Czechoslovakia in the Davis Cup final, held in Kungliga tennishallen, Stockholm, Sweden.
Borg gave Sweden a 1-0 lead after defeating Jiri Hrebec 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. However, Jan Kodes – the 1973 Wimbledon champion – levelled the tie by defeating Ove Bengtson.
Borg and Bengtson then combined to defeat Kodes and Vladimír Zedník in the doubles rubber, handing Sweden the advantage once again.
Borg did not falter against Kodes in the fourth rubber, defeating the two-time French Open champion 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, clinching Sweden’s first-ever Davis Cup title.
Bjorn Borg’s ‘finest victory ever’
As reported by the New York Times, Borg said: “This was my finest victory ever, I’ve always dreamt of winning the Davis Cup since I played my first match in the tournament three years ago.”
The Swede later added: “I’m very happy. I finally made it in a tournament like this, which I think surpasses everything else in world tennis.
The Davis Cup has to make a change… which is your preference?
“I’ve never been so nervous before a big match. I could only sleep four or five hours in the night, but after the first game felt very relaxed.”
Borg’s triumph against Kodes marked his 19th consecutive victory in the Davis Cup – a record at the time.
The Swede never lost a Davis Cup singles rubber, winning 33 consecutive matches during his career.
Sweden’s Davis Cup drought
Sweden’s last Davis Cup triumph occurred almost 30 years ago, in 1998.
This is somewhat considering how successful the nation has been throughout their tennis history.
For context, Sweden are the fifth most successful country in Davis Cup history, having won seven titles between 1975 and 1998.
| Year | Opponent in Final | Score |
| 1975 | Czechoslovakia | 3-2 |
| 1984 | United States | 4-1 |
| 1985 | West Germany | 3-2 |
| 1987 | India | 5-0 |
| 1994 | Russia | 4-1 |
| 1997 | United States | 5-0 |
| 1998 | Italy | 4-1 |
During the same time period, Sweden were Davis Cup finalists on five occasions: in 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1996.
Since Robin Soderling’s departure from the sport in December 2015, Sweden have struggled to produce many top-level players.
In fact, there are no Swedish players currently present in the ATP top 100. The country’s highest-ranking player is Elias Ymer, who sits at world number 169.
