Young ATP star says he’s idolized Rafael Nadal since...

“I actually started to cry. We had tried to bring him closer to another sport, in order to avoid comparisons with his father. It would have been much simpler”. These were the words used by mother Patricia when the little Borg revealed to the family that he wanted to become a tennis player. Despite his parents' desire to divert him to other destinations, Leo Borg continued on his path and when they spoke to him about pressure, he replied with a simple: “It doesn't bother me, it's not a problem. I always knew who my father was”. That's right, his father, Bjorn Borg, the man who revolutionized the game of tennis and who won 11 Grand Slam tournaments. Leo Borg, after the success obtained at the junior tournament in Porto Alegre, is ready to have his say even in the major circuit. The young Swedish talent, thanks to two wild cards, will have the opportunity to participate in the Challenger of Marbella and to play the qualifiers of the Andalucia Open, the new ATP 250 tournament. "I'm coming: now people are talking about me not only as 'son of', but also for my tennis," explained Leo Borg in an interview with the official website of the ITF. "I know it's something that will accompany me throughout my life, at least when I play tennis; so it's not a big deal, but something I'll always have to deal with. I've never thought about it too much. It's something I take care of. I don't see the comparisons between my father and me as a problem, but surely I would like to be judged for my tennis and not only, a priori, for being the son of a champion. I am very honored to receive such important invitations. I've played Challenger level before, but this is going to be a big event. I'm preparing with great attention and can't wait to play. I feel ready, I know I can play well and compete against strong players. I don't feel the pressure, I'm just curious to understand what my current level is: I think it's pretty high when I'm fine, but sometimes I have problems reaching it during a tournament“. Leo Borg chose to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father but grew up idolizing Rafael Nadal. Revealing as much in an interview with Spanish publication Marca, the 17-year-old son of tennis great Bjorn Borg said it wasn’t his father but the 13-time French Open champion that he modeled his tennis after.

Leo Bjorg says he’s idolized Rafael Nadal since he was little

“I met Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup because my father is the captain of the European team. He was always my idol since I was little,” Leo Borg said. Leo reached the round-of-32 of two ITF Futures events in Egypt, but couldn’t clear the qualifying rounds in the third, which was also hosted by the African city. Leo followed that up with another round-of-32 appearance at a Challengers event in Marbella, Spain. However, the 17-year-old couldn’t progress any further as he bowed out of the event after losing to Taro Daniel of Japan.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3wmdLxt