Impressive award and artifact collection of Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg, comprised of various accolades presented to Borg over the course of his brief but prolific run as one of tennis’s best and most influential players. The collection contains two personally-used and signed wooden racquets, a 1975 Davis Cup presentation flag, and an array of 20 plaques and trophies from tournaments and exhibition matches that date from 1969 to 1995, covering his years as an up-and-coming amateur, as the established No 1. ATP player of the late 1970s, and as a retired icon of the sport. The majority of these awards were presented to Borg when he was at his most dominant — between 1974 and 1981, he became the first man in the Open Era to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles with six at the French Open and five consecutively at Wimbledon. The collection is as follows (awards listed chronologically):
A pair of vintage wooden tennis racquets personally used by Borg — a Monarch Tournament Model racquet and a Von Braun Super Service racquet — both of which are signed on the shaft in black felt tip by Borg, who also signs on an included wooden Dunlop racquet holder.
Early crystal Volvo JSM Honorary Award from 1969, standing 8″ in height, with wooden base and affixed plaque (crystal is now detached from the base). Borg would have been 13 or 14 years old when he received this award, the top of which is chipped.
Set of three (3) early 1970s small cup trophies, each approximately 6″ in height, issued to Borg from Swedish tennis tournaments, two of which are dated to 1971.
Bowl trophy from the 1975 International Championship of Spain, standing 13″ in height, with original wooden base bearing an affixed plate (translated): “R.F.E.T., VIII International Championship of Spain 1975, Men's Doubles, Champion.” The bowl is detached from base.
Presentation flag for Sweden’s victory at the 1975 Davis Cup, standing 21″ in height, with the flag and the base featuring the logo for the GLTK tennis club of Sweden, with the latter engraved: “Grattis Till Davis Cup Segern, 1965 [Congratulations on the Davis Cup Victory].” The 1975 Davis Cup was won by the national men’s team of Sweden, who defeated Czechoslovakia in the final to win their first title and become the sixth nation to win the Davis Cup.
Heavy acrylic winner’s plaque from the 1977 Pepsi-Cola Grand Slam of Tennis, held January 21-23, 1977, in Boca West, Florida, 11″ x 14″ x 1″, with a silhouette figure of a tennis player in relief above the text: “Winner.” A portion of the racquet is broken and missing.
Attractive pairing of two 1st place chalice trophies from the inaugural Suntory Cup, an invitational men's tennis tournament held in 1978 at the Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The indoor tournament was played in April each year and consisted of a four-man draw. The event was not recognized as an official tournament by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) or the International Tennis Federation (ITF) but still attracted the world's leading players due to the financial rewards. Borg won the first tournament by beating Jimmy Connors in straight sets. The 1983 edition was noteworthy as it was Borg's last tournament before his retirement. The silver-tone cup-style trophies stand 16″ and 13″ in height and include their original engraved plates (one of which is detached but present): “Winner, Mr. Bjorn Borg, 23. Apr. 1978” and “78 Suntory Cup, Winner, Mr. Bjorn Borg, April 23rd 1978, Tokyo.”
A 16-inch gold-tone chalice trophy engraved “Frankfurt Cup 1979.”
Chalice trophy from the inaugural edition of the 1979 Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia, also known as the Palermo Grand Prix or Palermo Open, a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts from September 14 - 23, 1979, in Palermo, Italy. First-seeded Björn Borg won the singles title. The silver-tone cup-style trophy, 14″ in height, features a resin base with an engraved plaque.
Statue trophy from the 1979 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix, issued to Borg for his victory at the Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia in Palermo, on September 23, 1979. The trophy, which stands 14″ in height, features a unique design of a tennis player standing on a large tennis ball. The wooden base bears two affixed plaques: “Il Presidente, della Regione Siciliana” and “Grand Prix Colgate, 1st Classificato Singolo, Palermo 23-9-1979.”
Metal trophy statue from French television network Antenne 2, 10.5″ in height, with the base engraved, “Bjorn Borgh, 1980.”
A 7-inch silver-plated trophy cup from a 1981 tennis exhibition presented by “Federazione Casse Risparmio e Monti.”
2nd place finish award plaque from the 1981 Cuore Cup, a men's tennis tournament held from March 23 - 29, 1981, on indoor carpet courts at the Palazzo dello Sport in Milan, Italy. In the finals, Borg lost to second-seeded John McEnroe, who won his third consecutive singles title at the event. The engraved plaque with velvet backing, 5″ x 7.25″, reads: “Cuore Tennis Cup, World Championship Tennis, Singolare Maschile, 2 Classificato, Milano 1981.”
Commemorative award plaque, 4.5″ x 7.5″, for an exhibition match between Borg and Adrianno Panalta, held at the Palaverde in Villorba, Treviso, on January 24, 1984. The match was presented by former Italian tennis player Bepi Zambon.
Participation plaque, 3.5″ x 4.75″, from the Efes Light Tennis Classic held in Istanbul-Turkey, on December 3-5, 1993. Includes its original case.
Unusual acrylic finalist award from the 1995 Compaq Senior Tournament, standing 10″ in height and featuring five miniature encased tennis balls, with the lower plate reading: “Compaq Senior, 1995, Finaliste Simple Messieurs [men's singles finalist].”
Finalist award plaque from the H. P. Brinkmann & Knoery Classics held in Hamburg, Germany, between June 14 and 18, 1995, measuring 3″ x 10″ x 1″, with the upper section featuring a BMW emblem and the lower marked in bold lettering: “Finalist, Young Masters.” Includes its original box.
A crystal award plaque from the 1995 Mentadent Champions tournament, 5″ x 9″, etched below as “Singles Champion.”
In overall very good to fine condition, with scattered wear and scuffing, and some trophies bearing dents or chips. A few broken and incomplete trophies and awards are also included and sold as is with the collection.
Accompanied by a letter of provenance: “Between 2005-2010 I worked for the Björn Borg estate in Värmdö, Sweden. I became good friends with Björn’s parents Margareta and Rune. Margareta managed the economy and paid for all the work on Björns house. As a bonus for good work, I received various trophies/prices & collectibles over the years. All items in this collection came straight from the Björn Borg estate and have been in my personal collection and have never been sold/traded on the open market. The rackets were given by Björn’s father Rune to Björn early on and he trained/played matches with them. They were given to me by Margareta and signed by Björn at a later date.”
