"What shocked me was I wasn't even upset" - When Bjorn Borg made honest admission about losing to John McEnroe at Wimbledon

Bjorn Borg suffered a heartbreaking defeat to his arch-rival, John McEnroe, in the 1981 Wimbledon final. Surprisingly, the Swede later admitted that he felt nothing after the loss—not even disappointment.

Borg entered the final as the five-time defending champion and the overwhelming favorite to lift the trophy once again. He had strong momentum, securing victories over Peter Rennert, Mel Purcell, Rolf Gehring, Vitas Gerulaitis, Peter McNamara, and third seed Jimmy Connors.

However, he suffered a shocking defeat to McEnroe in the final, losing 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-7(4), 4-6. The loss ended his incredible 41-match winning streak at Wimbledon and handed his opponent his first title at SW19.

Bjorn Borg looked back on his heartbreaking loss during an interview with The Guardian. He admitted that he felt like the better player that day but lacked focus. What surprised him the most, however, was that he wasn't even upset—despite his deep hatred for losing.

"I felt I was much the better player that day. But I just wasn't so focused. And when I lost what shocked me was I wasn't even upset. That was not me: losing a Wimbledon final and not upset. I hate to lose," the Swede said.

He added:

"It was the same at the US Open. Losing to John again, I was relieved the match was over."

Two years after this very US Open, Borg retired, and in a later interview, John McEnroe expressed his sorrow at the icon's abrupt decision.

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John McEnroe was heartbroken after Bjorn Borg's retirement

Bjorn Borg stunned the tennis world when he retired at just 26 years old in 1983. His final Grand Slam appearance was at the 1981 US Open, where he reached the final but fell to John McEnroe. Instead of attending the post-match ceremony or mandatory press conference, he left the venue immediately and headed straight to the airport.

McEnroe was disappointed by Borg's abrupt departure and, in a 2021 interview with The New York Times, described the moment as "bittersweet." He wished they had continued their rivalry and admitted it took him a few years to come to terms with the "void" left by the Swede, believing they were the perfect "yin and yang."

"To me, it was bittersweet," McEnroe said. "The way it ended, with a whimper, with him walking out of the court before the ceremony to never play again. So even though it was a tremendous moment for me, winning Wimbledon and the Open back-to-back and taking over the No. 1 ranking, looking back I wish we could have kept playing."

"For years, I would see him and say: 'When are you coming back? This is ridiculous, let’s go.' It just felt like there was a void and it took me a couple of years to accept that. I think it was too bad for the sport as well," he added.

The American continued:

"We were the perfect yin and yang. You had someone who was naturally aggressive against someone who was a counterpuncher. Everything about us was totally different, the way we looked and the way we played."

Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe reunited at the 2017 Laver Cup, taking on roles as captains of Team Europe and Team World, respectively. Their tenure lasted until 2024, and in 2025, they will be succeeded by Yannick Noah and Andre Agassi.