Bjorn Borg says current tennis stars have this one obligation to the sport

Bjorn Borg knows a few things about having a successful tennis career as he won 11 Grand Slams between 1974 and 1981. By the end of his run, though, Borg had had enough. He was burned out and wanted to experience other things than tennis in his life. He did return to the sport eventually and has been Team Europe's captain at the Laver Cup since 2017.

This year will be Borg, and Team World's coach, John McEnroe, final year as the captains of their teams. Beginning in 2025, Andre Agassi will coach Team World and Yannick Noah will coach Team Europe. Both Agassi and Noah were great players, but they likely have a different approach to how to grow the sport than does Borg.

That is because when Borg was at his best in the 1970s tennis was different. The way rackets are made - and what they are made of - has changed. Fitness levels are more fundamentally sound and more controlled, and the teams that players keep around them are much bigger.

Bjorn Borg thinks Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have one obligation to tennis

Borg thinks that current players have one obligation to the sport they play, however, and that is to "promote" the sport. As opposed to soccer, Borg says, tennis allows individual players to show their personalities more because of not being a team sport. If fans aren't interested in the players, they likely won't be as interested in tennis.

Speaking with The Athletic (subscription required) as part of the 2024 Laver Cup promotion, Borg said, "(Players) hit the ball harder. It’s much more grueling to play the way they do. There is also the TV aspect to it. They are big stars. Tennis has become one of the biggest sports in the world and they have a big responsibility. They have to inspire people and promote the sport. It’s different than if you are a star in football. You don’t have to promote your sport."

While Borg's comment about tennis being one of the "biggest sports in the world" might seem like hyperbole, according to a website called Best Diplomats, Borg is correct. Best Diplomats states tennis has the fourth-most fans globally. That means young stars such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could have quite a lucrative future ahead of them.

But they do need to sell the sport well or they will do a disservice to themselves. Alcaraz and Sinner both seem to do that so far, but they likely need a third rival to emerge as well just as Roger Federer had Rafael Nadal who had Novak Djokovic.

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