This Donnay Allwood racquet was used in Tournaments during the 1976 to 1979 seasons by Bjorn Borg. This is another racquet from Lennart Bergelins personal collection. This along with all the items in this auction were obtained from Lennarts son Niclas in 2012. The letter signed by Borg himself attests to these facts for Impeccable provenance. You can also see the poster Borg signed to our consignor. Signed on the grip with nice use on this one as it seems from the red clay on the top, from likely play at Roland Garros during the French open. Extra long grip and completely personalized to Borgs liking. The BB in dymo tape can be seen in photos below which is a nice detail. The strings have been cut to preserve the shape of the racquet as the high tension would warp the racquet if left as is. In the photo of Borg and Pro Golfer Sergio Garcia, you will notice this practice. This photo was taken in Shanghai China in 2008 during an equipment exchange of pro athletes. Borgs racquets were all specially designed with Lennart Bergelin personally handling all his equipment. Every racquet was carefully constructed, gripped and strung to his exact specifications and tested prior to tournaments. Signed on the Fairway grip to go along with Borgs autograph on the letter of authenticity. Very rare and hard to find, these racquets would suit sports or historical collectors alike.
Björn Borg is a Swedish former World No. 1 tennis player counted amongst the greatest tennis players of all time. The first male professional to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles and holds numerous Open Era records which still stands. He uniquely pulled off five successive Wimbledon victories between 1976 and 1980 and, also achieved in three consecutive years the most difficult “double” in tennis, victory on clay at the French Open in Paris followed by victory on grass at Wimbledon. In addition to those distinctions, he was the ITF Champion from 1978-80, ATP player of the year from 1976-80 and, was the year-end world No. 1 in the ATP rankings in 1979 and 1980. In 1979 he became the first player to earn more than one million dollars in prize money in a single season.
In nine attempts at the Men’s Singles between the years of 1973 and 1981, Borg won 51 matches and lost four. Between his 1975 quarter-final defeat by the eventual champion, Arthur Ashe, and his loss in the 1981 final to John McEnroe, Borg won 41 consecutive singles at The Wimbledon Championships.
Borg turned professional in 1973 after winning the Wimbledon Junior Championship in 1972 and managed to reach the fourth round of his first French Open. He won his first top-level singles title at the Italian Open in 1974, shortly before his 18th birthday and became the youngest winner of that tournament, and two weeks later he became the youngest-ever male to win the French Open. In 1976, at the age of 20 years and 1 month, he became the youngest male of the modern era when up to that time to win the Wimbledon Championship. It was his first, and he did it in an astonishing sequence by demolishing seven opponents, culminating with Ilie Nastase, without dropping a set. It was only the fourth time a man had done that at Wimbledon, and it has not been accomplished since.
Björn Borg retired from professional tennis in January 1983 at the age of 26 after 10 years on tour. During his career he polarized the world after becoming the first “rock star” of the tennis circuit in a phenomenon known as Borgmania. This was due to his cool demeanor, his long hair that flowed to his shoulders, to the headbands he always wore, his tight-fitting Fila "White Line " and "Settanta" lines of shirts and shorts, and of course his famous Donnay racquet that featured a longer leather handle to accommodate his two-handed backhand that he revolutionized.
Lennart Bergelin was a Swedish tennis player and coach. As a player, for AIK, Bergelin won nine Swedish championship singles titles between 1945 and 1955, and the French Open doubles title in 1948. Bergelin is best known for his work with Björn Borg, whom he coached from 1971 until the tennis star retired in 1983, helping him to win 11 Grand Slam tournaments. Bergelin also captained Sweden to its first Davis Cup title. Some tennis coaches focus on the mechanics of the game, teaching perfection of form, grips, and other techniques. Others emphasize strategy, inspiration, and other mental aspects of the game. Yet others strive to simply bring out the natural best in their players. It is in the third category that one finds Lennart Bergelin.
"We are almost like father and son," Borg once told The New Yorker. "Lennart has a nice touch. He always gets you in a good mood and that is a big thing when you are playing professional tennis tournaments." Bergelin agreed: "One of the most important things I do for Bjorn is to be a good friend. That is not hard. We know each other well, we get along well, we enjoy talking tennis together, and when he feels tired and over-worked, I can help out by being good company."
This item will be up for auction at studioauctions.com in early 2025.
