TenniStory: Mats Wilander 40th Anniversary 1982 Roland Garros Champion

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[@KamarajRetnasami]

Mats Wilander was my favorite player when I was a teenager in the 80s. I followed all his matches. He made tennis very popular and really got me into the sport.

[@mrbungle7586]

Absolute legend. Tennis IQ, mental toughness, sportsmanship, he had it all.

[@walliegirl2]

Everyone has their own tennis idol. For me, Mats Wilander is my idol, and he was my mother's favorite player as well. I was able to meet him when he was sitting in a RV at a tennis club. He was so nice. Mats was like Batman, he used his brains to win matches., Valerie is my wife.

[@patriciomora9663]

He is such a class act!

[@NicoMKDC]

Such a great player and a great man who's been part of my life for almost 40 years. We love you Mats.

[@WONGLER]

Together with Edberg my alltime favourite not only as a player superb

[@naveensarawagi7442]

Mats was a classical all court player whose forte was steady play and few unforced error game . 7 grand slams is a good achievement at a time when so many top players abounded

[@JK-vc7ie]

He was my favorite player at the time

[@CarlaDacosta-mo3ed]

The great Mats. Fair-play, pugnacity, precision...Legend.

[@JK-vc7ie]

Well said

[@AABB-bm9kk]

Gotta ❤️Mats Classy 👍

[@hyperion755]

Sweden has such great history with their tennis. Hopefully more young Swedes can come up and continue that history.

[@Retsler54]

I am Swedish and the worst player of the country. Must say though what happened in the 70s to the 90s was incredible. One star from a small country could happen however raising an entire platoon over 20 years should have been impossible. Yet it happened.

[@bpw8139]

Get ready for the return of Borg.

[@andyroo9381]

Great insight with this story! I hope you have more, Tennis Channel.

[@mickaelhoarau199]

my all time favorite!!

[@Madness404]

Yes Mats !! Vicht !!

[@Luiz-nb3uz]

Congratulations

[@paoloantunes1283]

He was the smartest player of tennis in the open era- at least until the arrival of Djokovic. Amazing tennis brain.

[@ehmp-gl7yn]

Mats says that match v Vilas was the ugliest final he played in his career, and boy, 4h40 for a four sets match in which two sets ended 0 and 1... I wouldn't want to rewatch that match even if they offered me money for it!

[@Retsler54]

Most important question, what instrumental song is there in the beginning?

[@Lawrence_619]

I did everything I knew to do, to play like him. I had his 2 hander, down pat...and his forehand was easy to learn, because I used a semi-Western, before he even came to prominence..and I always had good footwork. But I didnt know how to consistently get the ball back with that 2 hander of his. He did a great job of adjusting the spin he put on the ball, by the way he manipulated the racket. I wasnt that smart...so wound up playing EXACTLY like Jay Berger, because to my great surprise, when he became well-known, my strokes were a natural copy of his, all along. I just didnt string my racket as tight as his...and my service motion was totally different from his. If I had every served like him, I would've had about 7 shoulder surgerires by now😆

[@peterbrown8880]

Wilander was lucky, no Borg there, that said Wilander was Fantastic!!

[@johnrenehan7406]

He had a rock solid all court game but without a single big shot ! His sheer consistency could dismantle much bigger hitters Just ask Ivan Lendle

[@nala3038]

Lendl

[@jliang70]

I have always preferred Edberg's game over Wilander's game. For me, Edberg was a creative tennis artist and poetry in motion. Edberg was the only player that departed from Borg's style of play and a unique player, standing out from the Borg clones.

[@markanderson8006]

I like Mats to win US Open in 88 was highlight of his career . Strange after 88 he never was a top 10 player. I thought he might have mentioned his practice games with Borg before 82 French open that he was getting beat all the time.

[@jeremyd1021]

Probably because they played 20 sets of tennis and Borg won every single one. Wilander and Lendl were the biggest beneficiaries of Borg's retirement. Wilander did say that they only played competitively once in Geneva in 1981, Borg won 6-1, 6-1 and Wilander said that Borg gave him the 2 games, otherwise it was a double bagel. Borg was on another level altogether.

[@niamhbrennan4482]

Mats was. ...16 at the time he played Borg

[@jeremyd1021]

@@niamhbrennan4482 He was 18 Actually. The same age Borg was when he won his first RG. And, in training for his win that year at RG, the retired Borg took 20 consecutive sets off him. Of course there can be some mitigating circumstances, probably he was in awe of Borg, but still....

[@jeremyd1021]

Oh and the final between Wialnder and Vilas is a contender for the world's most boring final ever!

[@DavidLecuona-y6v]

Is live in Sweden not very good ? Just asking after hearing his last comment.

[@anderssjoblom7793]

Climate change is the reason (I think). Where he grew up they hardly get any winters anymore (like it used to be when he grew up). It rains in winter instead.

[@luckyluke1503]

Does anyone think Mats would even be able to bear Andy Murray in RG?

[@andreasmissiroli6915]

when 2 players have a similar attitude and way of playing , the better of the 2 will ALWAYS come on to the top / see Borg Vilas or Borg Barazzutti or Vilas Higueras or Borg Solomon

[@wozmac771]

sorry this match reminds me of the 89 semi and finals. same style-bringing the opponents game down..maybe thats why Edberg is better known and respected. Also no matter if he says that Mats was better in a match, I would say, definitely not as a better player.

[@thetruthhurtsu]

Mats VeeLander was so overrated.

[@vls3771]

7 grand slams on 3 different surfaces?......

[@joshheinink]

You try then

[@Eddie-tw7kg]

What do you mean :-?

[@cesareborgia6431]

@@vls3771 and Wimbledon in doubles + only player to win 4 slams before 21...

[@drestarman]

so winning multiple grandslams is overrated? I guess Nadal is totally overrated then.