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Borg vs McEnroe (2017)

2017 • 1h 48m • Drama, History • R
On September 24, 2026
#10213▼ 24
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All reviews

John Chard on Borg vs McEnroe

7/10 · Mar 28, 2020

Are you kidding? Borg vs McEnroe comes from director Janus Metz and writer Ronnie Sandahl, featuring Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, and Tuva Novotny. The film portrays the Swedish Björn Borg (Gudnason) and American John McEnroe (LaBeouf), two of the world’s top tennis players, as they engage in a memorable competition during the 1980 Wimbledon tournament. Simply put, this is something tennis enthusiasts will appreciate, though even for them, it feels unbalanced and doesn't completely satisfy. As a Swedish production, it focuses heavily on the personal struggles Borg was experiencing at the start of the eighties. Unfortunately, this makes McEnroe—one of the sport’s greatest and most vibrant personalities—more like a supporting character in what intended to be a biographical look at a sports rivalry. Still, it's clear that both men were intensely motivated, each with their own issues. There are predictable elements of parental expectations; Borg is under pressure to set records (as his wife smokes constantly), and McEnroe wants to climb the path to success. The tennis scenes don’t quite stand up to close examination, but Gudnason and LaBeouf (both superb and perfectly chosen for their roles) handle the physical demands of the sport convincingly. In the end, it's a character study that doesn't explore both sides equally, but when you get to the 1980 Wimbledon final—featuring one of history’s most incredible fourth sets—you’ll likely feel thrilled. Not just by the tennis played at its highest level, but also by how these supposed rivals seemingly became close friends. 7/10

Source on TMDB