Bjorn Borg was a renowned tennis player in the late 70s and early 80s and throughout his tennis career Bjorn Borg showed persistence and a never give up attitude.
“My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories.” Bjorn Borg
He won countless games throughout his career giving him legendary status. Between 1974 and 1981 he won Grand Slam singles titles including five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles.
His career and success were perfectly demonstrated in one particular match that I am sure lives in many tennis fan’s memories. This match is the perfect example of persistence and a never give up attitude
In 1980, he faced John McEnroe in the Wimbledon final, and this game in my mind must still go down as one of the best tennis matches in history. Both players remarkable illustrated a never say die attitude, both refusing to give up.
McEnroe started strong, winning the first set. But Borg won the next two sets and was about to win the forth set and the match. He had McEnroe down 5-4, but McEnroe saved 5 match points to make it 5-5. Then Borg survived 6 set points, after a 22-minute tie-breaker McEnroe eventually won the set to even the match at two sets each. McEnroe’s perseverance was a huge setback for Borg. Only one point from victory, now the match was even.
In the fifth set, McEnroe had stolen the momentum. He seemed to be cruising to victory, and he was about to break Borg’s serve, 15-40. But then it was Borg’s turn to refuse to give up. He dug deep and reeled off 19 straight points on serve to win the set and the match, his fifth consecutive Wimbledon victory.
There can be no doubt that this classic 1980 Wimbledon final in which Borg fought off McEnroe remains one of the highest-quality clashes in Wimbledon history. McEnroe fighting off five match points to win that fourth-set tiebreaker was incredible, but Borg’s brilliance in the fifth was almost as remarkable. Neither player was going to give in, and they fought to the end but Borg dug deep and came back to win the match.
Both of these mega tennis stars demonstrate the power of persistence and a never give up attitude
The depth of Borg’s determination dumbfounded McEnroe.
“I felt like I lifted my game on adrenaline to get through that great tiebreaker. I thought he would go away, but he showed me even more will that I didn’t know even existed. He taught me something — that you have to be even hungrier and want it more and to dig even deeper.” John McEnroe
Persistence is often the key to success. Some days things just go against you, life just seems to mess up, and it seems there’s no way you succeed. But you have to hang in there, and never forget you always have a chance of winning as longer as you don’t give up. Give up at the first, second or hundredth attempt, you’ll never get anywhere.
Just don’t you ever give up. This is your life. You are the one who decides your outcome. Your best days are ahead of you. Always ensure you are keeping your head high and rise up to whatever challenges come your way.
Every obstacle or difficulty that comes your way will test your very character, as well as strengthen it. As demonstrated by these two fantastic tennis players, every point lost, had to be endured and weathered, and each small victory led to a feeling of strength and higher spirit.
“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious… And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney
Let me finish with another quote from Borg
“What matters is that you wake up in the morning and know what you want to achieve in life. And that is easier for me now because I wake up with such a great family around me.” Bjorn Borg
So keep fighting, keep moving forward, and believing that persistence and a never give up attitude will see you through o the end, a glorious victory.
