Mats Wilander

In the 80s, Sweden was charmed by the brilliance of Bjorn Borg. When he retired, there was a feeling of gloom in the country. But, one individual stepped up and carried the legacy of Borg. In two instances, one can argue that he outdid Borg in one particular achievement. Mats Wilander, who arrived on the scene after the retirement of Borg, carried forward Sweden’s rich tradition in Tennis through the 80s. When he was nearing his end, Stefan Edberg stepped up and ensured the country would not be displaced from the Tennis map of dominance. Wilander achieved tremendous success on the Grand Slam stage. But, when he had reached the world number one stage, it seemed that his motivation had ended. From reaching the summit, his climb downwards was rapid. But, that does not take away the brilliance that he exhibited in his near 12-year playing career. Wilander, in a way, has carved a niche for himself in the ruthless world of Tennis.

Born in Vaxjo, Sweden on August 22, 1964, Wilander was known for his speed and his efficiency from the baseline. His speed and the refusal to give up meant that when the match went the distance, he was tipped to win it. Wilander was a pure top-spinning, grind-it-out baseliner. His right-handed two-fisted backhand was equally powerful. When the situation demanded, Wilander would switch to attack as well as serve and volley. 

In a big way, Wilander has outdone Borg in two major achievements. At that time in the 80s, he became only the second man after Jimmy Connors to win on all three surfaces. Second, he helped Sweden win three Davis Cup titles. Borg had helped them win only one. 

Wilander started his career in Bastad, Sweden. In his only meeting with Borg, he lost.

But, one particular instance made Wilander a different athlete from the rest. During the 1982 French Open, Wilander was on a giant-killing spree. He defeated second seed Ivan Lendl and had reached the semi-final. During that match against Jose Luis Clerc of Argentina, Wilander wanted a replay of the match point. He did not want to win the game due to a questionable decision. That earned him the World Fair Play Trophy.

Wilander created history as he won the French Open at the age of 17, which remained a record. For the rest of the year, Wilander had middling success but he ended ranked seventh. In 1983 and 1984, Wilander won the Australian Open when it was played on grass. The Swede captured his second French Open title in 1985 when he beat Lendl in the final.

But, the year 1988 proved to be the pinnacle of Wilander’s career. He won the Australian Open when it was played on hard court. He beat Edberg and Pat Cash in five sets in both the semis and the final. Thus, Wilander became the only player to win the Australian Open on Grass and Hard Courts. In the French Open, he defeated Henri Leconte in straight sets. The final at the US Open saw an ultimate tussle between Lendl and Wilander. The Czech player was the No.1 ranked star for close to three years. In five hours, Wilander won 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7 and 6-4. At that time, it was the longest US Open final.

Wilander displaced Lendl from the top. But, as soon as he reached the top, he lost motivation and struggled in subsequent years. Wilander did attempt a comeback in the early 90s but he was a shadow of his former self. His seven Grand Slam titles underscore his greatness. Wilander never made it big in Wimbledon, with his best being the quarterfinals in three consecutive years from 1987 to 1989. But, Wilander will always be credited for carrying the torch of Tennis for Sweden after the retirement of Borg.

Grand Slam record

Australian Open: W (1983, 1984, 1988)

French Open: W (1982, 1985, 1988)

Wimbledon: QF (1987, 1988, 1989)

US Open: W (1988)