| Director | Janus Metz Pedersen |
|---|---|
| Genre | biographical film, drama film, sport film |
| Runtime | 100 min |
| Country | Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Sweden |
| Budget | SEK 65 million |
| Box office | $3.4 million |
In 1980, disciplined Swedish tennis champion Björn Borg and abrasive American upstart John McEnroe prepare to compete at Wimbledon. As the number one ranked player in the world, Borg is under enormous pressure to win his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title. Living in Monaco with his fiancée, Mariana, Borg is uncomfortable with his celebrity status and Mariana struggles with the lack of control over their lives.
Taking up tennis at an early age, young Borg is suspended due to angry outbursts on the court. Retired champion and Davis Cup captain Lennart Bergelin notices Borg's potential and his unusual backhand, then becomes his coach. Borg struggles with his temper and clashes with Bergelin, who is pressured to enter 15-year-old Björn as the youngest ever Davis Cup player. Bergelin relents but urges Borg to hide his emotions and channel them into his game.
As a child, McEnroe idolizes Borg and is a gifted student but struggles with his parents' high expectations. By age 21, McEnroe is tennis' number two ranked player and a rising star, determined to win his first Wimbledon title. In sharp comparison to the famously unflappable Borg, McEnroe is also prone to aggressive outbursts and confrontations with umpires, much like Borg in his youth.
Arriving in London, Borg sets out his meticulous Wimbledon routine, and McEnroe draws his own tournament bracket on his hotel room wall. They proceed through the first and second rounds, and McEnroe and fellow player Vitas Gerulaitis discuss rumors of Borg's superstitious habits, including fine-tuning his rackets and cooling rooms to lower his heart rate.
When his third-round match is paused due to rain, an overwhelmed Borg lashes out at Bergelin and Mariana. Flashbacks to Borg winning his first French Open in 1974 and Wimbledon two years later, as each tournament's youngest player ever, emphasize the pressure his career has placed on him. That night, Bergelin and Mariana commiserate over the toll Björn's success has taken on their lives.
In the quarter-final, McEnroe faces his own doubles partner Peter Fleming. The day of the match, he snubs Fleming, who accuses him of stealing his ankle brace. McEnroe wins and tries to reconcile, but Fleming warns John that he is not well liked and will only be remembered for his temper, not his skill. McEnroe's father arrives in London to watch him play.
Borg wins his semi-final match but still struggles to cope with the pressure. A year earlier, he agrees to recreate a home movie for a television interview — playing tennis outside his childhood home in Stockholm — but becomes agitated when he is unable to relive the exact experience, and leaves. At Wimbledon, Borg is comforted by Bergelin and reaffirms his commitment to win.
McEnroe's reputation and confrontational attitude lead him to be booed by the crowd throughout his semi-final match. He wins but storms out of a contentious post-game press conference and later completes his handmade bracket: Borg faces McEnroe in the Wimbledon final.
The final match begins, with public confidence high for Borg's anticipated fifth title, while McEnroe is booed again. McEnroe unexpectedly dominates the first set, but Borg wins the second. McEnroe chooses not to overreact to debatable calls, and receives brief words of encouragement from Borg, who wins the third set. The fourth set results in an unprecedented and punishing tie break, won by McEnroe. Despite holding seven match points in the fourth set, five of which came in the tie-break, Borg goes on to win the fifth set and the title, while McEnroe's sportsmanship receives a standing ovation.
At the airport, Borg and McEnroe part on friendly terms. An epilogue reveals that John defeated Björn at the following Wimbledon championship, with Borg retiring that year at the age of 25, but they later became close friends — "Former rivals, best enemies".