Björn Borg

Borg won the Wimbledon singles title five years in a row, from 1976 to 1980. The Hall of Fame names his 1976 final over Ilie Nastase as the first and his 1980 five-set final against John McEnroe as one of the greatest matches in history; the Associated Press report of the 1980 final records the score as 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6.

At 18 Borg won the 1974 French Open after losing the first two sets of the final to Manuel Orantes, becoming the tournament's youngest champion to that date. He won it six times in all, including four in a row from 1978 to 1981, according to both the Hall of Fame and Britannica.

Borg won 11 major singles titles in the eight years from 1974 to 1981 and led Sweden to the 1975 Davis Cup. The Hall of Fame says his heavy-topspin forehand and two-handed backhand became the craze, with players at every level trying to copy his style and his controlled court demeanor. He announced his retirement on 23 January 1983, at 26.

In the 1974 French Open final, 18-year-old Borg lost the first two sets to Manuel Orantes, 2-6 and 6-7, then won the next three 6-0, 6-1, 6-1. Earlier in the tournament, the ATP reports, he had recovered from 1-4 down in the deciding set of his first-round match.

This is consistent with staying in a match after falling well behind. Persistence

The Christian Science Monitor wrote in 1981 that Borg, largely self-taught, had always listened politely to people who wanted to change his grip and two-handed backhand but refused to tamper with a method that felt comfortable and worked. The paper added that he kept up early-morning workouts and practiced his topspin shots 'until he can make them in his sleep'.

This is consistent with trusting his own method over outside advice while continuing to practice it. Independent Thinking

Stan Smith recalled to the ATP that when he beat the 17-year-old Borg in 1973 Borg 'made too many mistakes' going for big shots, but that by 1974 Borg had become a 'human ball machine' who realised he did not need to. Borg won the French Open that June, his first major title.

This is consistent with changing his tactical approach from one season to the next. Adaptability