BORG v McENROE

Cert 15 Running time

This biopic of two all-time great tennis players is broad stroke stuff and serves up too few aces.

It centres on the 1980 Wimbledon final between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, played with admirable application by Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf.

Billed as the “ice” Borg versus the volatile Superbrat, it saw reigning champ Borg serving for a fifth consecutive title against his up-and-coming rival. The Swede is wound so tight his psychological string may snap at any point, while McEnroe is reduced to not much more than a greatest hits package of famous on-court rants.

With the result never in doubt, the film explores the psychology of the sportsmen, revealing surprising attitudes to playing the game. As their extraordinary five-set battle becomes an existential slog, there is no sense of joy in playing or even in winning.

So contrary to most sports films, this thought-provoking victory seems a defeat for both Borg and McEnroe. This may make for a fine metaphor for life, but it doesn’t exactly add up to uplifting entertainment.