Stefan Edberg (ur. 19 stycznia 1966 w Västervik), tenisista szwedzki.
Jeden z wybitnych woleistów, szukający rozwiązania niemal każdej akcji – zarówno w odbiorze, jak i przy własnym podaniu – przy siatce. Wysoko oceniano obok umiejętności wolejowych jego klasyczny, jednoręczny backhand.
Wygrał w karierze 41 turniejów w grze pojedynczej oraz 18 turniejów deblowych. 6 razy wygrywał w singlu turnieje wielkoszlemowe – Australian Open 1985 i 1987 (po raz ostatni rozgrywane na nawierzchni trawiastej); Wimbledon 1988 i 1990; US Open 1991 i 1992. Ma na koncie także 3 tytuły wielkoszlemowe w deblu; 1987 wygrywał Australian Open i US Open w parze z Andersem Järrydem, a w 1996 Australian Open z Czechem Petrem Kordą.
13 sierpnia 1990 po raz pierwszy awansował na pozycję nr 1 rankingu światowego, zastępując Ivana Lendla; jako lider listy ATP kończył sezony 1990 i 1991, a miejsce w pierwszej dziesiątce zajmował w latach 1985-1994 (do 1993 w czołowej piątce). W 1987 wraz z Järrydem został deblowym mistrzem świata (tytuł nadawany przez ATP).
W latach 1984-1996 Edberg reprezentował Szwecję w Pucharze Davisa; czterokrotnie miał udział w końcowym sukcesie (1984, 1985, 1987 i 1994). W 1984 wygrał rywalizację pokazową na igrzyskach olimpijskich w Los Angeles w grze pojedynczej; 1988 zdobył brąz zarówno w singlu, jak i w deblu.
Cieszył się uznaniem jednego z największych dżentelmenów kortów; pięciokrotnie otrzymywał wyróżnienie ATP za postawę godną sportowca; w 1996 został patronem tej nagrody.
Od 1994 osiągał gorsze rezultaty, w 1995 wypadł z czołowej dwudziestki i podjął decyzję o zakończeniu kariery wraz z końcem 1996; w swoim ostatnim roku zawodowej kariery ponownie był w dobrej formie, wygrał m.in. deblowe Australian Open oraz dotarł do finału singla na turnieju w Queens Clubie, a na US Open wyeliminował mistrza Wimbledonu Richarda Krajicka. W listopadzie 1996 porażką w pierwszej rundzie turnieju w Sztokholmie z rodakiem Nicklasem Kultim zakończył karierę (miał jeszcze zagrać w finale Pucharu Davisa, ale nie był w pełni sił).
W 2004 znalazł się w gronie członków Międzynarodowej Tenisowej Galerii Sławy
His duels with Boris Becker are legendary, his volleys were extraordinary: Stefan Edberg about his German rival, modern tennis and Swedish equality
Mr. Edberg, have you already congratulated your old rival Boris Becker?
Congratulated? Why?
He has become a father again in February.
Oh, that you mean. No, I haven’t congratulated him for this. We don’t have a close contact and see us only seldom. In November 2009 we met us the last time in London. He told me then that he would become a father again. He made a very happy impression.
You played 35 times against Boris Becker. Why have those duels been so thrilling?
We were different chracters. I was reserved and introverted. Boris was the exact opposite: irascible and emotional.
The man of few words against the wild man.
One can outline it like this. We both played at the same time very good in Wimbledon. We inspired each other to a high level of performances. Without him I would have developed diffently – and he probably also without me.
Which match against Becker do you especially remember?
The Wimbledon final of 1988. It was my first final in Wimbledon and Boris was the big favourite as he had already won there two times before (1985, 1986). It was a lousy day, very rainily. I played cards for hours with my coach Tony Pickard. We had to wait for ages until we could go out on the court. Just as we had started the match it got interrupted in the middle of the first set due to rain. On the next Monday it was raining again. I had a good lunch, then the match suddenly continued. I had tummy ache and lost the first set. But I won the second one in a TB. That was the turning point. I can remember exactly at the MP: I stood at the net, Boris was hitting to my body and the ball stayed at the net. I was so relieved and fall on my back. It was the moment I had waited for all the time.
You played against all big champions. Is Roger Federer better as you?
Yes. Not only because of his impressive results and records. The way he plays tennis has lifted tennis on a new level. He can everything. We had very good players at my time, but somehow everyone had a weakness. Federer and also Nadal don’t have a weakness anymore.
Would you have a chance with your classical serve and volley game against the current generations of players?
I would have a huge advantage: The guys wouldn’t be used to my style as nobody plays serve and volley anymore. So that would surprise them. But the game has totally changed. Today everything is played much faster, even though the courts have been slowed down. For an attacking player this is a nightmare. He needs the fast ballbounce at the serve. Especially when he, just like me in former times, serves with much kick. This advantage you don’t get at a tournament like Wimbledon anymore. Todays players are much better return players as we had been. It’s logically that there are no attacking players anymore. They wouldn’t have a chance.
Serve and volley is definitly dead?
I don’t think so. In the future players who play powertennis from the baseline with well timed netplay after the serve will be the main players. As nobody really uses serve and volley today the returngame is quite predictable: to play the ball in, preferably long. That won’t be enough when the server attacks more often. Then you would be able to volley the returns. That would mean a completely new game.
Why does nobody play like this today?
Because it needs a lot of practice. Good attacking players need to control lot more components as baseline players. The basis for this has to be established in the youth. It won’t work when you suddenly try to teach a 20 years old player, who has played his whole tennis life from the baseline, how to use serve and volley. Attacking tennis is something natural, which has to grow. The coaches don’t have the time and patience for it today.
Was tennis better in former times or now?
Without a doubt today. At my times we had different kind of players and today everyone plays quite similar, so that you don’t have much varieties. But tennis as a sport has developed enormally in the last years as it had become more athletically, faster, preciser and therefore better.
Do you miss real characters on the tour?
There are enough characters in tennis at the moment. Federer, Nadal, Del Potro, Djokovic – they are all great guys.
But they are a bit colourless compared to John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors.
Players as McEnroe you will find once in 100 years. It surely helped tennis formerly to have “good” and “bad” guys on the tour. That attracted a lot of people, also ones who didn’t had a clue about tennis. But real “bad” guys you won’t see anymore today. You have to be totally focused in order to compete at the highest level today. Nobody can afford any antics. Everything gets noticed and you find lapses in the internet a few hours later. So nobody can afford it to act like some of my “bad” opponents in previous times.
You always belonged to the “good” guys. How did you managed this?
I followed easy rules: Stay true to yourself, only allow prudent persons in your environment and think before you say something.
Pete Sampras once described you as the “ideal guy for a tennisidol”. Where does your immaculate reputation come from?
Maybe because I’m a calm and somehow diplomatic guy. My motto has been: To say nothing is better as to say to much.
You never went wild on the court. All just a matter of self-control?
It would have been counterproductive for my game when I would have got angry. But it very often seethed inside me. I needed to stay calm, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to play my best tennis.
Do you miss the big stage today?
Actually I would have to say a loudly “NO!” But I play some senior tournaments meanwhile, which could give the impression that I indeed missed the big stage. But I play those tournaments in order to meet old friends. It is also nice that my children are able to see my play there.
Do you enjoy the limelight now?
I will never really like it as it doesn’t suit to my character. Even as a young boy I didn’t liked it to attract attention. In school I behaved as inconspicuous as possible. I always sat in the last row and never put my hand up. I got an attack of sweating whenever a teach asked me to come to the blackboard. This fear to be in the focus of attention I also had as a professional tennis player. But I had to learn to live with it.
How often do you practice today?
Regularly. Tennis is my passion. I play with my wife, my kids, my friends and with good Swedish young players.
How popular is tennis in Sweden?
Soccer and icehockey are more popular. But the results from Robin Söderling at the French Open in 2009 and 2010 changed a lot. Especially his victory against Rafael Nadal last year aroused much enthusiasm. It was the best news for Swedish tennis in the last 10 years.
But in 2002 with Tomas Johansson a Swede was able to win the Australian Open.
Oh, you can forgot about that. Nobody was interested in it. That Söderling was able to beat the king of clay Nadal in Paris was another dimension. One single match can change a lot. It was a perfect story and everyone was interested in it. That’s what’s all about in sport: When the story is good everyone notices it. The Swedes suddenly watched tennis in bars and cafés on the street, everywhere – that’s crazy!
What do you think Söderling is capable of doing?
A lot. It’s really remarkable what a hype he caused. He isn’t in the Top 5 in the rankings, hasn’t won a big title yet, but the newspapers are full with reports about him. At my time we had a lot of strong Swedish players, but the journalists only yawned when one of us entered the Top 10.
Do you get asked a lot about Söderling now?
No. I’m not that present in the Swedish media as other former Swedish players. For me other things in life are much more important.
What is this?
My family. I live with them near Växjö, directly on the countryside. I take my kids, Emilie and Christopher, to school in the morning. In the afternoon when they return we do something together. Mostly it involves sport.
You once said you wouldn’t want to become a “spoiled primadonna”. Did you succeeded?
I think so. My life is not like you would maybe imagine it from a so-called “ex star”. I’m doing the dish washing and the laundry at home.
Really?
Yes, I don’t really enjoy it, but it has to be done. And my wife doesn’t have to do everything.
The typical Swedish emancipation.
That’s how it is. In Sweden it is normal that the man is involved in the housekeeping. Abroad sometimes men look strange to me when they hear about it. But it doesn’t bother me. I don’t only want to bring home the money as a man.
How do you earn your money now?
I already established an investment company with the help of an asset manager when I was a professional player. Beside this I’m the owner of 40 hectares forest right beside my house.
So you are a forester?
No [laughs], that’s not the case. I only sell trees to the wood- and paper industry. That has to be organized and I can perfectly do it from my house.
What happens when you enter a restaurant in Sweden?
What should happen then? I’m going in there just as every usual guest.
When Boris Becker enters a restaurant in Germany the people all go crazy.
Well, Boris and me always have been very different
_________________ "Kto jest dobry? Kto zły? Nie ma ludzi dobrych i złych, są tylko złe albo dobre uczynki. I ludzie, którzy miotają się między nimi." Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
He fought against Boris Becker, won 6 Grand Slam titles and was leading the world rankings for 72 weeks. Meanwhile the former tennis professional Stefan Edberg works in his own financial management company. In this interview with “The Investment” he explains why investing money is much more different than playing tennis.
How did it happen that you got from a tennis player to a financial professional?
Edberg: As a professional tennis player you earn lots of money within a short time. I earned about 20 million dollars in my 13 years of professional career. During my active time I ceded the investment of my fortune to other people. Especially as a young player you only concentrate on your sport. You practice, eat and sleep, nothing more. But I was always interested in finances. After the end of my career I decided to care alone for it. I started to inform myself, read financial pages in the internet. I wanted to find out which ways there are to invest money.
Have you ever gambled away?
Edberg: I didn’t really lose much money. I’m cautious with investing. But since the dot-com bubble – where I had invested much in stocks – I believe in diversification. In the current crisis this works quite well.
How do you invest your money?
Edberg: I live in Växjö on an own farm with forested area where I lease the fields. I have also bought apartment buildings nearby. I invested much money in corporate bonds, especially from Sweden. In the current international debt crisis I feel more comfortable to give my money to a good Swedish bank instead of investing in consoles.
You invested a part of your fortune in funds of your financial management company “Case Asset Management”.
Edberg: Yes. I established Case in 2004 together with the former Hedgefonds managers Bo Pettersson and Fredrik Svensson. I have know Pettersson for over 20 years as he managed a part of my fortune during the 80s and taught me a lot about money. Now I am allowed to talk as a partner when it concerns decisions of investments. On one side we have the Case funds, which are mainly geared to stocks. On the other side we have Safe Play, which leads the focus on corporate bonds. Fair Play lies in between and mixes funds and corporate bonds. The same for all three products is that we stay with companies from Northern Europe.
Because of the international debt crisis which doesn’t hit the Northern countries that much?
Edberg: That is one of the reasons. But apart from that we see here and especially in Sweden lots of good investment chances. The Swedish Bond-Market is really small compared to the German one. Moreover there are the bonds “over the counter” which means outside of the bourse. You need to have good contacts – and money. Unlike with stocks which you can get for little money you have to pay several hundred thousand euros for bonds. Not everyone can do this and that’s where we see our overvalue.
Who are your investors?
Edberg: Most of all wealthy private persons. One of them is Stefan Persson, president of Hennes & Mauritz, who is coparcener of Case. We administer about 450 million euros right now. Because we want to increase we opened ourselves for smaller purses in the last months. You can now access from 500 euros onwards.
Does this also apply for German investors?
Edberg: The funds are Swedish special funds and therefore we don’t make any advertising for it in Germany. But when someone from Germany wants to invest, it is possible.
Are there character traits of a professional tennis player which help you today with your asset management?
Edberg: As an athlete you are used to work hard, 7 days a week. In addition to that you have discipline and determination. But in comparison tennis is much easier. You have clear rules: there is the baseline and the ball is either in or out. It’s different in financing business. There is more scope, you have to negotiate and depend more on other people. I had to learn all this.
Do you still play today?
Edberg: Yes, every week, but of course on another level as in former times. I love tennis, it is the best way to keep fit.
An article from: La Repubblica by Emanuela Audisio
IN AUSTRALIA the least Swedish Swede of all won: Stefan Edberg, the boy to whom Percy Rosberg, the first Borg's coach, had advised to leave the two-handed-backhand behind. "It spoils your natural aggressiveness" (he had said exactly the opposite to Borg).
A clear score: 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, to his friend Mats Wilander in the first all Swedish final in a Grand Slam tournament. It wasn't much of a fight: the match has always been in Edberg's hands and far from Wilander, the lenght says it all: just an hour and a half.
If the seventeen-year-old Becker had triumphed in Wimbledon, in Melbourne the nineteen-year-old Edberg ruled, showing that now it's almost exclusively the young who control world tennis. Young but not unripe, though, at least judging their results, even if they are never considered favourite at the start.
Wilander had won in Paris earlier this year, Edberg hadn't won anything really big so far, even if in '83 he had been the only player to win the Junior Grand Slam, even if one year later in only two weeks he had climbed the computer rankings from 83 to 17, even if he had won the golden medal in the Los Angeles Olympics, even if he had beat Jarryd and Wilander in Milan in march '84, even if he had swept Connors away in the US indoor in Memphis.
A good player, everybody said, and with a second serve even stronger than the first, more similar to McEnroe than to Borg, but a player who has often dreadful gaps in the match. Little Swedish, little patient, one who doesn't wait for the others' mistakes, but precedes them.
Very good at the net, with fast starts, but difficult chases. And tennis at high level often also means chasing. "He has a defect: he is too respectful of the others, he does too much as they want" said of him Erik Bergelin, the trainer son of the former Borg's coach. And he meant that Edberg, enterprising on court, wasn't as much so mentally.
Young often happen not to trust themselves and it was exactly the problem of this policeman's son grown in Vastervik in a tennis club without dressing rooms.
Sudden and fast Becker's growth, then, had surprised him, pushing him out of the spotlights. Becker was younger, more extroverted, more spectacular, more everything. Edberg could only stay there like an unexploded bomb waiting for a maturation.
This until the Australian Open where he starts so so against Anger, where, in the fourth round, he saves two match-points against Masur in the third set, where in the semis he meets Lendl, in a winning streak of three months and 35 matches. The Czech, who hasn't lost since the last Us Open, is forced to give up after four hours in five sets: Lendl smashes a short lob with all his anger, Edberg recovers it, wins the point under Lendl's more and more amazed eyes, shakes his head and smiles. For the first time he looks like a Swedish. The Czech accepts to play at the net, and Edberg, with soft volleys replies with kind arrogance.
In the final against Wilander he's given unfavourite, he is 4-1 down in the head-to-heads. But the match starts and ends in his hands; only once in the entire match Wilander will get a break, in the eight game of the last set and then he'll say: "He didn't give me a chance: he surprised me with his shots from the baseline".
His chase to Becker is successful by now: Edberg will reach the fifth place of the ATP ranking stepping over the German, who lost at his first match in Australia. The head-to-head is next to come. In Munich from 20th to 22nd December Germany and Sweden will meet in the Davis Cup final. Becker is sure to play, Edberg isn't. We'll see if the coach will keep on preferring "a more Swedish one"
In an interview from March of last year released by "A Bola" in Lagos, Portugal, during the inauguration of the Cascade Resort Sports Academy, Stefan Edberg speaks of his life after tennis, today's game and Agassi's biography "Open".
from A Bola (March 26th, 2010) by Nuno Paralvas Translated into English by Mauro Cappiello
You quit tennis in 1996 after a career of great success. How did you first fill your free time? I spend most of my time in Sweden, where I live. My children go to school, I bring them and get them often. I do not travel a lot and I dedicate myself to my main job, which has to do with financial products and real estate. Tennis is still part of my life, but now less significantly than before.
- Do you miss it? To be honest ... not! Maybe people think I should miss playing at the highest level. It was very good to have had the opportunity to play professional tennis, but a career lasts 10 or 15 years and there are other things to do in life. I felt the need to quit but I’ve always maintained some contacts. I didn’t leave tennis completely, I still have the pleasure to practice and play. It's good to play just one hour, sweat a bit. I feel good and that's what I do every week.
- How old are your children? My son Christopher is 13 and my daughter Emilie 17.
- Needless to ask if they play tennis. [Laughs] Christopher does, Emilie doesn’t.
- Do you think he liked to follow his father’s example? No. I think they like to play sports but do not think of being professionals, which, in some ways, is very good for me. Being professional is good, but requires hard work and long hours of dedication. Not everyone needs to reach the highest level to take pleasure from sports.
- You recently won an ATP Champions Tour tournament where you beat John McEnroe and Goran Ivanisevic [he interrupts]... ... I can still beat some of the older [laughs].
- Couldn’t you overcome some of the younger? No! Tennis has changed, it became very physical. Today's players are very strong, hit the ball harder and technology also helped, especially the strings of the racquets that allow better spins. Nadal and Federer raised the level of the game. The best are really good and the game is interesting. There are new talents that can compete against them. For example Del Potro, Murray, Cilic, Djokovic, Roddick.
- Do you think you have a chance to win a set against Federer? No, no, no [laughs]. Maybe a game, but there is no comparison possible. They are the best, train every day and are much younger. The difference is very big and for me it was much better 20 years ago. But I think it could still have a good time training with them. Now a game... would be very hard!
- Many people say Federer is the best player ever. What is your opinion? I absolutely agree. I can’t see another player as complete. He has a winning record in Grand Slams. In addition to his fantastic record he has a chance to continue to win some more tournaments, which is extraordinary. He's the one I enjoy the most watching.
- Which other players do you also admire? Cilic has a great talent and could become one of the best in the world, Djokovic has proved he can beat up with Federer and Nadal. There are many good, but for me Federer is above them, he is fantastic. In a way, I identify myself a little in the way he plays, very fluent. He can do many things with the ball, changing tactics and makes everything look easy on court. Also Nadal is amazing, his unusual physical form and his mental strength at crucial moments.
- Do you know some Portuguese players? No. There were a few in my time, but... I don’t remember.
- Frederico Gil or Rui Machado? No.
- Portugal has great talents in football and few in tennis. Sweden continues to have great players. Is there any explanation for that to happen? Obviously, in Portugal there are talents, but maybe they are forwarded to football. In first place in tennis infrastructures are needed. I think Portugal will have them, but also good coaches, good leadership. To be a good tennis player requires, besides an extensive knowledge of the game, to travel far to compete against the best and to evaluate the level of play. Surely that is good in Portugal, but players must be tested. It is necessary that already at 12 years of age you realize at which level you can play.
- Is this one of the reasons why Sweden has such good talents in tennis? We had a golden generation, we had Bjorn Borg. Tennis became very popular and courts were built everywhere, the coaches were very good and worked hard. The results did not appear overnight. Everything takes time. After the golden generation, we continued to have good players.
- The ATP has a sportsmanship award named after you. What is your opinion about Andre Agassi’s decision to reveal consumption of drugs in a book? Not a pretty story. It is a story that one doesn’t want to hear. I do not know which reasons led him to do it, nor read the book, but I learned of the issue and heard negative comments. I believe that all the people have freedom of speech and can do what they want, but I think it would be preferable to remember him for what he did on the court, without having to look at this kind of stuff. Nor it’s good to hear his regrets for the players who played against him.
- But that confession can’t serve as a warning? Yes, indeed. It is a view that many people fear, in reality. All individuals, in a way or another, make mistakes. But he was an example and many now raise questions and look at him differently. That has changed. At least that's what I hear.
Stefan Edberg interviewed by The Sunday Times answers the Best & Worst game about his professional career.
From The Sunday Times
What was the best moment of your career?
The first time I became the world’s No 1-ranked player in 1990 would be right up there with winning Wimbledon two years earlier. Ivan Lendl was the player I knocked off the top and he’d been there a long time.
What was your worst moment?
There are two. The first was losing the final of French Open in 1989 to a 17-year-old Michael Chang. It was the only time I got beyond the quarter-final at Roland Garros. The other was 7½ years later and my last match, which came in the Davis Cup final against France in Malmo. I knew it was where I would bow out but I got injured early in my first match against Cedric Pioline. I lost in straight sets.
What was the best thing about being a player in your era?
I played in the tail-end of one stunning era and figured in another later in my career. McEnroe, Connors and Lendl were still around when I broke through. Boris [Becker] was pretty much a constant as we began playing each other when we were juniors but then Sampras, Agassi, Courier and Goran [Ivanisevic] came to the fore when the older guys bowed out. There was a little more edge between the players in that first era but the quality of play was always so high in the second.
What was the worst thing about tennis in your era?
The rain delays at Wimbledon. I look at the Centre Court roof and wish it was there in my time.
Who was the best coach you had and why?
Most people think I only ever had one coach, Britain’s Tony Pickard, but they would be wrong. When I was young I worked with Percy Rosberg, the man who first spotted Borg’s talent. Technically he was so good and his help was invaluable. But Tony was the best coach for me and we stuck together throughout my top career. He had to be tough at times. Tony became almost a second father and that special relationship still holds true to this day.
Who was the best player you played against?
The opponent who gave me the most problems was unquestionably Pete Sampras. We played 14 times in all and he won eight. His serve was phenomenal and his overall game so strong. He would overpower you and was the complete player with just about every shot.
What was the best venue you played at?
Predictable but true, nowhere can compare to Wimbledon’s Centre Court. It is almost sacred. But Kooyong, the home of the Australian Open before it moved to Melbourne Park, also has great memories because it was where I won my first major title. It was always a great feeling down there.
Who is the best player today?
No hesitation: Roger Federer. In the same way Sampras was at his peak, Roger is the complete player and I was happy for him when he finally won the French Open this year. It was the only Grand Slam title that I didn’t win. Sampras, Becker, Connors and Newcombe suffered the same fate. Federer goes into every Grand Slam as the major contender and I can see that lasting for a while yet. Will things change now he is a father? I have no idea but from my experiences I know it didn’t get any easier when it came to focusing on my tennis when my daughter and then my son came along.
What is the worst thing about the game today?
I always played serve and volley and there are few players who specialise in those tactics now. It’s easy to understand because with the changes in technology the game got too fast so steps were taken to slow it a little in terms of surface and balls. But it would be wrong if the art of attacking the net to hit the winning volley disappeared.
What was the best advice you were given as a player?
I remember early in my career practising with Jimmy Connors. He insisted there was no point being out there if you were not giving 100% and that every point mattered. He told me if you had that outlook in practice then it would make you even more focused in matches. It’s a lesson every young player should be taught.
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
Tennis remains a part of my life and I play a few tournaments each year on the ATP Champions Tour. I don’t think you ever lose the urge to be competitive but I have plenty of other things on the go. I have always taken a keen interest in the international stock market and spend a couple of hours every day in front of my computer working on my portfolio. I am also involved in property rental around my hometown, Vaxjo, in Sweden. Sport-wise, I keep an eye on the fortunes of Leeds United and hope better times are coming back, and I play a lot of squash. It’s a great game and I support the campaign to make it an Olympic sport. But most important is my family; my wife, Annette, daughter Emilie, who is now 16, and son Christopher, who is 12.
by Sandeep Mohanty I first watched Edberg on TV in the Wimbledon '88 final. I had never ever watched any tennis match before that. I knew nothing about tennis. Even in India at that time I believe there were not many live broadcast of tennis matches on TV. It's only because of my father's interest in tennis, especially Wimbledon that I was lucky enough to watch this greatest serve and volleyer of all time.
Since that day needless to say I became a die hard fan of this greatest player of all time. After that match I have always followed him on TV, News paper, Magazines, Radio whenever, wherever possible. I am really very unlucky not to have watched all his matches coz on TV only the semi-finals and finals were telecast live at that time. But whatever was coming live, I never missed them. Then finally after 1991 I was able to see all his matches live on TV because of sports channels like Star Sports and ESPN. I wish I could watch all his games.
In fact die hard fan is an understatement. Actually I don't have words to describe how big a fan I am of Stefan Edberg.
I have always cried whenever I have seen him losing a match coz for me that was like losing a Grand Slam final and I have cherished all his victories like they were grand slam wins. On numerous occasion I have skipped my lunch or dinner after he has lost a match coz those losses were so much more painful for me. It was always difficult to sink in the losses. I always wanted him to win like every Edberg fan. My parents always tried very hard to make me realize you win some and lose some, but they knew very well their words would not convince me at all. And only because it was Edberg.
His most disappointing loss was in the hands of Chang in French open final in '89. I will always hate Chang for that match. That hurts me even now. In fact all the matches that he lost were very painful. I remember him losing in the second round of Wimbledon in his last year on tour. I could not believe that as I was not able to imagine a Wimbledon without the greatest Edberg.
But then I have also many many fond memories of his winning. Wimbledon '88 tops the list. May be because that was the first time I saw his match. That will always remain special to me. His win against Becker in Wimbledon '90 final was also a great match. I have a VC of the same in my library collection. His win over Courier in US open '91 was probably the best match. He played absolute flawless tennis that day. In India I woke up at 1:30 a.m. in the Monday morning to watch the match and Edberg made my day. That day I woke up and prayed to god then went to watch the match, God listened to my prayer I know.
And my god, in the next year US open '92 he just proved every critic of his wrong and came up with the most memorable title defence of all time. His 4th round, QF and SF will go down as three of the most amazing coming from behind and winning showing true guts and super champion qualities. His match against Chang in the SF to some extent erased the bad memories of French open '89.
It was a sweet revenge for him. coming from behind when a break down in the final set against Chang who is considered as a fighter till the end. Edberg was the only non-American in the last four. And the only non-American won the US open. I just love it whenever I remember that. Against Sampras also he played the final like a true champion with true guts and elegance. I still remember his jumping over the net after the winning points of every match in that year. His demolition of Sampras in the final more than reiterated that in the game of serve and volley his is just unmatched. I can go on and on and on....................... on his story.
His backhand volleys, backhand passing shots, his drop volleys, his forehand volleys, every aspect of his game was the best. I can not forget those 3-shots points where only 3 shots were involved.
1- Edberg Serves....... 2- Opponents return........ 3- Edberg hits an unbelievable volley to a corner of the court. The point ends then and there.
Apart from being the best serve and volleyer of all time, he is also the perfect role model parents will look for their children. He is such a nice human being on and off court. He is a person who is always down to earth, nice to every one, bears the same expression on his face even if he losses a match. He is a true champion, he is a perfect role model, he has a charisma that can never be matched by any other player. All in all he is a class act. The sportsmanship award is named after him, does not that say everything?
"Yes it does". Answer by each and every tennis fan.
Twenty years later, let's go back to the 1991 edition of the US Open, with the exploit of Jimmy Connors, semifinalist at 39, who managed to put in the background even the final victory of Stefan Edberg, reached though a serve & volley as effective as ever.
by Mauro Cappiello from Ubitennis.com
America was getting past the shock of the first Gulf war. The radio played “Everything I do”, by Bryan Adams, leader in the US charts for sixteen weeks. On the big screens “The Silence of the Lambs” had appeared. In New York, instead, on the still light-green painted courts of Flushing Meadows, one of the most memorable editions of the US Open in the last thirty years took action. It rarely happens to recall a tournament for the deeds of a player who didn't win it. That year, though, maybe the legendary run by Jimmy Connors, the old lion who reached the tournament semifinals at 39, almost overshadowed the final victory of Stefan Edberg, who, in 1991 in New York, played a wonderful tennis, by his own admission the best in his career.
Placed in the draw thanks to a wild card and with a ranking dropped down to number 174 due to an injury that allowed him to play (and lose) only three matches the season before, that year Jimmy Connors was able to carry away to his side all the American audience, to make even the occasional spectators addicted to tennis, raising the tv shares. And to gain a support he hadn’t even had in his golden age, when, between 1974 and 1983, he had won the US Open five times on three different surfaces (grass, clay and hard), without shining for sympathy on the big crowds.
1991, instead, was the year who established him as the terrible grandpa of tennis. Already in Paris, Jimbo had been able to write a big moment in sports, when, in the third round, against a Michael Chang almost twenty years his junior, he had reached the fifth set, had won the first rally and then, exhausted, had thrown the towel in, withdrawing when he was up in the score, even if by one only point.
In New York, his run was much longer, unexpectedly longer. It seemed it should come to an end already in the first round, when the draw placed him against Patrick McEnroe. Down two sets and 3-0, 40-0 in the third, Connors succeeded in an unlikely comeback, winning 6-4 in the fifth, after more than four hours and a half of fight.
After two comfortable rounds against Schapers and the number 10 seed Novacek, another nail byting match came up, against Aaron Krickstein, right in the day of his thirty-ninth birthday. The challenge against a boy who could almost have been his son, a guy nicknamed “Marathon man”, because, with that hair band a little à la John Rambo, at the end of his career he will be able to boast of having succeeded for 10 times to come back from a two set deficit. Not that night, though. Against a Jimmy Connors on the edge of an agonistical orgasm, Krickstein was himself victim of a comeback that probably still gives him nightmares: he won the first set, but lost the second in a tie-break. He went up by two sets to one, but couldn’t resist the fury of the rival who recovered the gap and triumphed in the decisive tie-break after also coming back from a 2-5 deficit in the fifth. It was this way that Krickstein went down in history for a battle he lost and not won. When it rains, in New York, they still repropose the highlights of that endless match that literally made the New York crowd crazy, touching peaks of involvement rarely reached in a tennis match.
Twenty years later, let's go back to the 1991 edition of the US Open, with the exploit of Jimmy Connors, semifinalist at 39, who managed to put in the background even the final victory of Stefan Edberg, reached though a serve & volley as effective as ever.
Stefan Edberg, US Open 1991 championby Mauro Cappiello from Ubitennis.com
America was getting past the shock of the first Gulf war. The radio played “Everything I do”, by Bryan Adams, leader in the US charts for sixteen weeks. On the big screens “The Silence of the Lambs” had appeared. In New York, instead, on the still light-green painted courts of Flushing Meadows, one of the most memorable editions of the US Open in the last thirty years took action. It rarely happens to recall a tournament for the deeds of a player who didn't win it. That year, though, maybe the legendary run by Jimmy Connors, the old lion who reached the tournament semifinals at 39, almost overshadowed the final victory of Stefan Edberg, who, in 1991 in New York, played a wonderful tennis, by his own admission the best in his career.
Placed in the draw thanks to a wild card and with a ranking dropped down to number 174 due to an injury that allowed him to play (and lose) only three matches the season before, that year Jimmy Connors was able to carry away to his side all the American audience, to make even the occasional spectators addicted to tennis, raising the tv shares. And to gain a support he hadn’t even had in his golden age, when, between 1974 and 1983, he had won the US Open five times on three different surfaces (grass, clay and hard), without shining for sympathy on the big crowds.
1991, instead, was the year who established him as the terrible grandpa of tennis. Already in Paris, Jimbo had been able to write a big moment in sports, when, in the third round, against a Michael Chang almost twenty years his junior, he had reached the fifth set, had won the first rally and then, exhausted, had thrown the towel in, withdrawing when he was up in the score, even if by one only point.
In New York, his run was much longer, unexpectedly longer. It seemed it should come to an end already in the first round, when the draw placed him against Patrick McEnroe. Down two sets and 3-0, 40-0 in the third, Connors succeeded in an unlikely comeback, winning 6-4 in the fifth, after more than four hours and a half of fight.
After two comfortable rounds against Schapers and the number 10 seed Novacek, another nail byting match came up, against Aaron Krickstein, right in the day of his thirty-ninth birthday. The challenge against a boy who could almost have been his son, a guy nicknamed “Marathon man”, because, with that hair band a little à la John Rambo, at the end of his career he will be able to boast of having succeeded for 10 times to come back from a two set deficit. Not that night, though. Against a Jimmy Connors on the edge of an agonistical orgasm, Krickstein was himself victim of a comeback that probably still gives him nightmares: he won the first set, but lost the second in a tie-break. He went up by two sets to one, but couldn’t resist the fury of the rival who recovered the gap and triumphed in the decisive tie-break after also coming back from a 2-5 deficit in the fifth. It was this way that Krickstein went down in history for a battle he lost and not won. When it rains, in New York, they still repropose the highlights of that endless match that literally made the New York crowd crazy, touching peaks of involvement rarely reached in a tennis match.
In the quarters another recovery victory, against Paul Haarhuis. Lost the first set, with the opponent serving for a two set lead on the score of 5-4, Connors was able to give tennis history a point that is still nicknamed “the play”. On the break point to get back in the match, the thirty-nine year old Jimbo returned four smashes by his opponent, replied to the last with a formidable crosscourt forehand and, on the opposition volley by the Dutchman, passed with a great running backhand down the line to go and exult as gone crazy in front of the first row of the Centre Court. Standing ovation!
It was the last act of his extraordinary US Open. The semifinal against Jim Courier ended even before beginning. Too strong, too solid, much too younger and fresher was Big Jim to be frightened by an opponent who had been drained by the fatigue and the emotions of the previous rounds. It ended in three easy sets, but however Jimbo found a way to give the crowd a pearl of his own. Stumbling in the attempt of recovering a ball, Connors went down on the ground. Courier went by asking the classic «Are you alright?». Jimbo answered with a memorable «Yes… and if I wasn’t?». Out of the match, almost humiliated by his rival, Connors was once more able to carve out his own moment, tearing away a smile and an applause from the disappointed crowd, who wanted to see him in the final.
The final was reached by the other Jim, who found on the other side of the net an Edberg at his top. Dimmed by Connors’ magical nights, the Swede had made his way through the other side of the draw starting a little on a low note, but growing as the tournament went on. After losing a set both against Bryan Shelton in the first round and Jim Grabb in the third (two players well behind the top hundred), Edberg became a war machine and went on to win the tournament after a faultless path.
If one year later he would repeat himself thanks to his guts and a character that many hadn’t acknowledged, in 1991 Edberg won the US Open thanks to his game. Maybe since that edition of Flushing Meadows serve & volley tennis has no longer reached those peaks of excellence and effectiveness. The Swede was able to lift the trophy after bringing home two thirds of the points on net attacks. A monster percentage for one like him, who was used to rush forward every time, even after the second serve.
In New York Stefan had never shined: too much noise and wind for a guy like him, used to the calmness of Sweden or London, the city where he had set his residence in his years as a professional. In 1987 he had thrown away a semifinal against Wilander, because the night before he had played five sets in the doubles final, winning it at the decisive tie-break with Anders Jarryd, against Flach and Seguso.
In 1991 everything started to go to perfection from the fourth round, where he played that Chang who two years before had given him the biggest upset in his career, beating him in the Roland Garros final. It was an extraordinary match, hidden by the quite clear success of the Swede. But there was a contrast in styles that we are no longer used to admiring today, with a perfect Edberg always stretched at the net, forced to cover it in all its width by the picks of the little Chinese who ran as mad from the baseline.
After a one-way traffic quarter final against Javier Sanchez, the semifinal against Ivan Lendl came up, the match become famous for “the sellout” made by the Swede to Ivan the terrible, when he perfectly reproduced, a few games later, a shot of his played from behind the back, hitting the ball with the forehand on the backhand side. Even his coach Tony Pickard sketched a smile, while the great Ivan, with his humor sometimes hidden by a frowning attitude, commented: «I guess anybody can make that shot…».
The final was an impressive display of serve and volley: Courier, who had beaten Edberg in the quarters at the Roland Garros (and who would beat him again in the finals of the Australian Open in 1992 and 1993) that time really didn’t get in the match. He got together only six games. Edberg lost just fifteen points on his serve. Since Frank Sedgman in 1952, nobody had dropped so few games (16) in the last two rounds of the US Open. «That day he was perfect, there was no way I could have won that match», would comment Courier some years later, while, still today, Edberg considers that final the best match in his career. And he doesn’t care if Connors stole him the scene. For a guy like him, better stay in the background than under the spotlight. «Jimmy really gave the tournament a boost. I thank him. But 50 years from now I'll look back in the record book and see my name».
"With Roger and Rafa, we saw the golden age of tennis"
Stefan Edberg in Zurich
Now a businessman, Stefan Edberg lives away from the circuit. In Zurich, where he was playing the tournament of former champions, the Swede has spoken. About his life and the evolution of the sport.
At 46, Stefan Edberg still has traces of a spectacular attack game that made him a world leader and winner of six Grand Slam titles. Friday night at the Zurich Open - tournament of former champions - he served some balls at 187 km/ h against a Henri Leconte forced to give up after two sets. After his shower, the Swede took the time to have this interview. To talk about his new life, the evolution of the game in general and especially Roger Federer. - Le Temps: Unlike others, for example Mats Wilander, we no longer see you on the Tour that often. What is your new life like? - Stefan Edberg: I have been very busy since I've quit playing tennis. It keeps on occupying a small part of my life, because I practice several times a week. But I do it for fun, keep fit and participate occasionally in tournaments like this on the ATP Champions Tour. Otherwise, I have a family. Two children, 18 and 15 years old, with whom I spent much time in the last 15 years. And on the business side, I am running a finance company I'm highly involved in. It took me between 10 and 15 years to get to know and understand the functioning of markets. I also have a business in real estate. I have not stopped since retiring from the circuit and then I got to that stage where I try to reduce some activities. I feel it is time to relax more. I am conscious of having the privilege of choosing what I do with my life, which is not the case for most people. I can decide if I want to work hard or not. - What is the most tiring, your current life or that of a champion? - They are such different worlds that it is difficult to compare them. Being a tennis player required much work and sacrifice. But it was a choice and when you do, you have the chance to live your passion. A life with young children and work is almost more compelling and leaves less time for yourself. But I liked to find a more normal life after that of the gipsy tennis tour. - Do your children realize what you have done? Because they have not seen you play... - Not because they were too young. And that's a good thing. They know my background a bit, but we do not talk too much. I have not told them many things and they didn't ask me too many questions either. For them, I'm a dad and not a former tennis player. That is better for our relationship. - Is having been a great champion an advantage in your second career? - That is clear. This brings you discipline and rigor. There are plenty of qualities transposable from top tennis to business. Moreover, companies have increasingly used athletes because they know they have a higher capacity for work than the average person. They are capable of steering a course to achieve high goals. This is clearly an advantage. - What is your view on current tennis? - The level is incredibly high. There are real superstars on the circuit. We saw a little golden age of tennis with the current generation. That makes the sport even more attractive. My fingers are crossed. I hope they continue to play a while. Because once Roger and Rafa will be gone, they will leave a great void. Certainly there will be Djokovic. But the presence of Federer and Nadal is something really special. Replacing them will be almost impossible. When they are no longer there, tennis will really miss them. - Federer says you're the player he inspired to... - He is a very sensible person (laughs...). - Are you proud of that? - Of course. When you're young, you have players you take example from and I am pleased to have been a model for him. I have tremendous respect for Roger. He is a great ambassador for tennis. I really hope he will continue for some years. - He would like to play more serve and volley, as you did, but it became almost impossible... - It is very difficult indeed. Due to the changing of the game, slower surfaces, softer balls, harder strings. And it's almost too late for him because it's very natural to practise serve and volley. But I think it would give him an advantage in the coming years to play serve and volley 10 or 15% of the times. A slight increase in his game would make it harder for his opponents and give him an extra advantage. - Right now, Federer is having a second life... - It's true, he is very fit. He is on an incredible winning streak and has a serious chance to become world number one. If he plays well in Miami and on clay, everything is possible. If he can arrange to be on top at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, he may well win another Grand Slam. He has not been far from that last year. If he stays where he is right now, if he does not get injured, anything can happen. He has the victory in him right now. - At Indian Wells, he seems to have found the solution against Nadal. What advice would you give him to help him beat Rafa? - It's hard to say. The difference is so little, a few points here and there. I think it's psychological, first and foremost. - What do you think of John Isner? - He plays very well, given his size. If he can develop his game a bit, he can become very dangerous. - We see more and more big players... - Everyone is getting bigger and stronger, but the ideal size is between 180 and 195 cm. Beyond that, it's complicated. - Has the game become more physical? - The serve and volley is more physical than the game from the baseline, because it is faster and requires greater responsiveness. However, tennis has become very powerful. And without physical assets, today you have no chance. - Players complain seasons are too long... - I think if they had the schedule I had, they would complain even more. I was very involved in the Davis Cup (he won four times) and my seasons were longer than now. We had somehow seven consecutive seasons. - What happened to the Swedish tennis? - A kind of standardization. Competition from other sports, too. Swedish tennis is in poor health. We should start from scratch. I think there are some promising 16 year old guys, but it will take some time before they arrive on the circuit. It will remain empty for a while. I am part of a lucky generation who participated in a revolution. At that time, they built many indoor courts, we had excellent coaches and a good Federation. We worked hard but in the right direction. - What is your fondest memory and your biggest regret? - I do not have too many regrets. If I look at my career, I'm quite satisfied. Having been world number one is probably what I'm most proud of. For it's very difficult to achieve. Otherwise, winning my first Wimbledon was a big highlight for a Swede.
Tytuły singlowe (42): 1995 (1) Doha 1994 (3) Washington, Stuttgart, Doha 1993 (1) Madrid 1992 (3) US Open, New Haven, ATP Masters Series Hamburg 1991 (6) Tokyo, Sydney, US Open, London/Queen's Club, Tokyo, Stuttgart 1990 (7) ATP Masters Series Paris, Long Island, ATP Masters Series Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Wimbledon, Tokyo, ATP Masters Series Indian Wells 1989 (2) Masters, Tokyo 1988 (3) Basel, Wimbledon, Rotterdam 1987 (7) Stockholm, Tokyo, Cincinnati, Tokyo, Rotterdam, Memphis, Australian Open 1986 (3) Stockholm, Basel, Gstaad 1985 (4) Australian Open, Basel, San Francisco, Memphis 1984 (2) Los Angeles Olympics, Milan
Finały singlowe (36): 1996 (1) London/Queen's Club 1995 (1) Washington 1994 (1) ATP Masters Series Cincinnati 1993 (3) Basel, ATP Masters Series Cincinnati, Australian Open 1992 (3) Sydney, Stuttgart, Australian Open 1991 (2) ATP Masters Series Stockholm, Long Island 1990 (5) ATP Tour World Championship, ATP Masters Series Stockholm, Sydney Indoor, ATP Masters Series Miami, Australian Open 1989 (6) Paris, Basel, Cincinnati Wimbledon, Roland Garros, Scottsdale 1988 (4) Cincinnati, London/Queen's Club, Tokyo, Dallas WCT 1987 (4) Los Angeles, Montreal/Toronto, Bastad, Indian Wells 1986 (4) Tokyo, Los Angeles, Montreal/Toronto, Memphis 1985 (2) Los Angeles, Bastad
Tytuły deblowe (18): 1996 (1) Australian Open (w/Korda) 1995 (1) Doha (w/Larsson) 1993 (1) ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo (w/Korda) 1991 (1) Tokyo (w/Woodbridge) 1987 (6) Stockholm (w/Jarryd), US Open (w/Jarryd), Montreal/Toronto (w/Cash), Bastad (w/Jarryd), Rotterdam (w/Jarryd), Australian Open (w/Jarryd) 1986 (3) Masters Doubles (w/Jarryd), Los Angeles (w/Jarryd), Rotterdam (w/Zivojinovic) 1985 (4) Masters (w/Jarryd), Cincinnati (w/Jarryd), Bastad (w/Jarryd), Brussels (w/Jarryd) 1984 (1) Hamburg (w/Jarryd)
Finały deblowe (11): 1993 (1) ATP Masters Series Cincinnati (w/Holm) 1990 (1) Sydney (w/Lendl) 1988 (1) Bastad (w/Kroon) 1986 (4) Gstaad (w/Nystrom), Roland Garros (w/Jarryd), Boca West (w/Jarryd), Philadelphia (w/Jarryd) 1985 (1) Montreal / Toronto (w/Jarryd) 1984 (2) Basel (w/Wilkison), US Open (w/Jarryd) 1983 (1) Basel (w/Segarceanu)
_________________ Tytuły (14): 2018: Brisbane, Quito, Indian Wells 2017: Auckland, Waszyngton, Shenzen 2015: Doha, Sydney, Houston, Roland Garros 2013: US Open 2012: Nicea 2011: Los Angeles, WTF Londyn Wcześniej: Za słaba era, żeby coś wpisywać.
Finały (15): 2017: Stuttgart 2016: Tokio, Shanghai, Bazylea 2015: Wiedeń, WTF Londyn 2014: Doha 2013: Cincinnati 2012: Monte Carlo, Roland Garros, Sztokholm 2011: Marsylia, Monte Carlo, Wimbledon, US Open Wcześniej: Za słaba era, żeby coś wpisywać.
ATP HERITAGE PROGRAMME ATP Heritage: Stefan Edberg, 1990-91
Spoiler:
ATP HERITAGE PROGRAMME ATP Heritage: Stefan Edberg, 1990-91
On 23 August, ATP celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Emirates ATP Rankings. We continue our countdown with a look at Stefan Edberg, the 1990-91 year-end No. 1. #ATPHeritage
Stefan Edberg was one of the greatest serve-and-volley exponents in tennis history, a possessor of an elegant backhand and a cool and analytical mind. Like John McEnroe, he reached the top in singles and doubles.
Edberg first captured the attention of the tennis world in 1983, when he completed a junior Grand Slam of the four major championships. Before the age of 19, the Swede had won his first ATP World Tour title and also the singles competition as a demonstration sport at the 1984 Olympic Games.
Edberg was the eighth player in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings to become No. 1 on 13 August 1990, following a quarter-final win over Michael Chang in the Western & Southern Open at Cincinnati. With his coach, Tony Pickard, Edberg remembers, "We had a little champagne that night. It was unusual. We just had a little."
Aged 24 years, nine months, Edberg had followed in the footsteps of fellow Swedes and year-end No 1s, Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander, in reaching the summit of men’s professional tennis. He had five spells at No. 1, totalling 72 weeks, until 5 October 1992.
"I don't think I thought about the year-end No. 1 ranking much," said Edberg. "For two or three years I was a Grand Slam champion, but not the No. 1. I didn't realise the importance of it until late in my career."
Edberg narrowly failed to finish in the Top 5 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for 10 straight years. He captured six major titles from 11 finals – including three memorable duels against Boris Becker at The Championships, Wimbledon, in 1988-1990. Overall, he won 41 singles crowns.
The Swede was also the 13th player to rise to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings on 9 June 1986. He spent a total of 15 weeks at the top of the team game, clinching 18 doubles trophies.
"The best thing about it is telling your kids you were No. 1," said Edberg. The Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award was renamed in his honour, upon his retirement, in 1996.
Read more about Edberg in "No. 1", our special commemorative coffee table book, celebrating all year-end ATP World Tour No. 1s over the past 40 years. Buy Online Through Tennis Warehouse: Europe | Outside Europe
This year, the ATP pays special tribute to 25 former World No. 1s as part of the ATP Heritage programme, marking 40 years since the ranking system was introduced in 1973.
Stefan Edberg, who recently spent a week hitting and consulting with Roger Federer, says he is open to furthering the relationship and could wind up coaching the 17-time Grand Slam champion—if an agreeable schedule can be worked out.
"It's a matter for us to find time to fit it in," Edberg told Stockholm's Svenska Dagbladets. “If we can, I would be more than happy. The idea of the [training] camp was that I would give my views and come up with some feedback. He wants to try some new things.”
Edberg said he advised the Swiss to play a more attacking game. Federer failed to beat any of the younger members of the Big 4 in 2013.
"I was very surprised (that Federer asked) because it's so long since I left tennis," Edberg said. "But I was also very flattered. I've never really thought about coaching and if it had not been Federer doing the asking, honestly, I would not have been interested."
Rejestracja: 14 lip 2011, 22:04 Posty: 56746 Lokalizacja: Warszawa
Strona fanów Stefana, których to liczba powinna wzrosnąć po dzisiejszej decyzji o podjęciu pracy z Rokerem. Mam na myśli oczywiście tych młodszych fanów dyscypliny.
Stefan Edberg says Roger Federer is playing at a high level again this season but still picks his own backhand as the better of the two.
"A lot of the other strokes I think he does a lot better than I did," Edberg said in a conference call. "But I`ll give myself a bit of favor with my backhand.
"I had one of the better backhands in the game when I was playing, I could use it offensively or defensively, a lot of variations. It was a key shot for me."
Edberg, who is being honored at the Canadian Open this year, began coaching Federer this season and sees a big improvement following the No. 3's injury issues a year ago.
"The great thing is he's played some really good tennis this year and he's back playing some really good tennis again," said Edberg, who is regarded for possessing one of the best backhand volleys in tennis history.
_________________ “I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”
"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."
Stefan Edberg was presented with an International Tennis Hall of Fame ring by Christopher Clouser, Chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum and Todd Martin, the CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum.
The ceremony underlined the Swede’s illustrious playing career, during which he recorded 806 wins, won 41 titles and attained number one in the Emirates ATP Rankings in both singles and doubles. The serve-and-volleyer reached the final of all four Grand Slam events, winning six in total. He defeated nemesis Boris Becker to capture the 1989 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and finished runner-up to Andre Agassi the following year.
The London resident is now in the midst of a successful second career in tennis, coaching World No. 3 Roger Federer, who has already qualified for the semi-finals of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals by winning his first two round-robin matches in straight sets.
_________________ “I doubt about myself, I think the doubts are good in life. The people who don’t have doubts I think only two things: arrogance or not intelligence.”
"When these kind of matches happen you suffer, but I really enjoy these moments. I really enjoy suffering, because what's harder is when I am in Mallorca last year and I had to watch these kind of matches on the TV."
Edberg Talks Past And Present Of Barclays ATP World Tour Finals
Spoiler:
Former World No. 1 returns to The O2 Stefan Edberg will make a welcome return to The O2 in London next week as part of the ATP’s Finals Club, which this year celebrates Barclays ATP World Tour Finals competitors in the 1980s. Having qualified for nine straight year-end championships in New York City and Frankfurt, between 1985 and 1994, the Swede continues to marvel at the growth of the prestigious event. “This has become one of the best events to visit as a spectator,” Edberg told ATPWorldTour.com. “You don’t have to deal with rain, you’re guaranteed two great matches each day and everything runs well. “It was mostly about the Grand Slams in my generation, but I think this championship and the [ATP World Tour] Masters 1000 events have so much importance to them now, which is great. That’s how it should be.” YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Battle For Year-End No. 1 Heads To London Edberg won the season finale title in 1989 (d. Becker), in the final edition of the event at Madison Square Garden, New York, and was runner-up the following year (l. to Agassi) at the Festhalle Frankfurt in Germany. “I remember it being such a big deal for me to qualify for the first time [in 1985],” said Edberg. “You have to deserve to be here and play so well throughout the whole season. It was great to play in Frankfurt because it was basically Boris Becker’s home ground and tennis was so big in Germany, but it was also very special to play at Madison Square Garden, in that type of environment and in a big city. “It was really special to defeat Becker in the 1989 final because I had lost six or seven finals that year, so it was a real breakthrough. I was winning most of the finals in 1990, so it did hurt to lose to Andre Agassi in the championship, especially after beating him in a great match during the round robin group.” More: Stan 'The Big Match Man' Eyes First London Title Since retiring from the ATP World Tour in 1996, Edberg has had the chance to see the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals evolve, both as a spectator and former coach to Roger Federer from 2013-15. He’s eager to see how the battle plays out between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic for the year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. “What’s interesting is that over the past two years, it’s been all about Federer and Djokovic, but now it’s changed to Murray and Djokovic,” said Edberg. “It was a little bit surprising that Andy reached No. 1 before the end of the year, but he’s had a great season and has been knocking on the door for quite some time. Djokovic isn’t going to go away, though, that’s for sure! He’s had such a long reign at the top (223 weeks in total) and has also had a great season. But it’s normal to see new people challenging him for that spot.” Edberg and John McEnroe remain the only players in ATP World Tour history to ranked No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and top spot in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings. This year, Group Edberg/Jarryd is named in honour of the classy Swede and Anders Jarryd, who won the year-end doubles championships in 1985 and 1986.
_________________ MTT - Tytuły (13) 2015: Tokio 2016: Rio de Janeiro, Indian Wells, Waszyngton, Chengdu, WTF 2017: Doha, Sydney, Dubaj, Miami, Marrakesz, Estoril, s-Hertogenbosch
MTT - Finały (9) 2015: Kuala Lumpur 2016: Queens, Sankt Petersburg 2017: Waszyngton, Winston-Salem, US Open, Sankt Petersburg, WTF 2018: Doha
Zaloguj się
Zarejestruj się
FAQ
Szukaj
.gif ";)")
.png ":)")
