Borg, the king of Roland Garros before Nadal

A few years before Rafael Nadal takes all Roland Garros records aheada Swedish made the Bois de Boulogne the home.

From 1973 to 1981, Bjorn Borg was six times champion in Paris (with 49 victories over 51 games) about a total of eight participations, not counting that in 1977 he did not attend to practice hard courts in the United States.

His course began in 1974 with 18 years recently fulfilled. The first final won Manuel Orantes In five sets it was a demonstration of courage and forcefulness to turn an absolutely lost game (2-6, 6-7, 6-0, 6-1 and 6-1). Thus became the youngest player to succeed in the French tournament (then surpassed by Mats Wilander In 1982 and, later, for Michael Chang in 1989).

In 1975 he defended his title by beating the Argentine in the final Guillermo Vilas 6-2, 6-3 and 6-4. A defeat before Adriano Panatta In 1976 he stopped that promising walk. Interestingly, the Italian had been his executioner in Paris years before, in 1973 (he was the only one who did it in history).

In 1977 he did not play in Roland Garros for injury And he returned the following season with the voracity of recovering what he thought was his. Who had been proclaimed King Of the slow court during the previous year, Vilas, succumbed to the power of the Swedish in three comfortable sets. Borg swept everyone in the tournament without losing any set (In the semi before Barazzutti Corrado gave a single game).

In 1979 he defended his title again in Roland Garros (defeated Paraguayan Victor Pecci in four sets in the definition) and in 1980 he repeated the feat achieved two years before. His passage through the France Open was as overwhelming as two seasons before not yielding any partial on its way to the title. In the final he defeated Vitas Geulaitis.

In 1981 he dominated until the final where he met another young star, the Czech Ivan Lendlwhom he exceeded 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 and thus could shout 6!

This brand in Roland Garros remained an insurmountable record Until June 11, 2012 when Nadal said enough. The four consecutive victories in Paris were also matched by the Spanish in 2008 and there, Borg himself was responsible for giving him the trophy, honors and command of a new reign.