It is a busy day at the Junior International Roehampton, but all eyes were on one player only: Leo Borg.
The 16-year-old son of five-time Wimbledon winner Bjorn Borg was making his debut on grass at the junior Wimbledon Qualifying event on Thursday, thanks to a wild card given to him by the All England Club.
Borg junior fought his heart out on Court No. 11, inside the the grounds of the Bank of England Sports Centre, just a few miles away from the All England Club, but eventually came up short against No.9 seeded Frenchman Loris Pourroy.
I was very happy to play, and I am very thankful to play here. But today was not my day
Although his appearance on the grass was brief, the No.365-ranked Borg showed flashes of brilliance, with athletic all-court movement and a strong double-handed backhand, very similar in style to his legendary father.
“Today was not my day,” a dejected Borg, who bears more than a passing resemblance to his famous father, told wimbledon.com after a 6-1, 6-4 defeat.
“Grass is very different from other surfaces,” said the Swede, who first played on grass a week ago, when he practised at the nearby Hurlingham Club.
“He started out OK, but he was tight, so he didn’t serve so well,” Rickard Billing, Borg’s coach, told wimbledon.com. Borg settled his nerves after about 30 minutes but “overall, he was probably a bit too nervous and a bit too tight on his serve and on his forehand. But that happens.”
Although the comparison to his father, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, will always be made, the young Borg “is handling it quite well,” said Billing, who has been coaching the teenager since he was ten years old.
Although he was disappointed to have lost, Borg was full of gratitude for receiving a wild card into the event.
“It was a very special moment,” he said. “I was very happy to play, and I am very thankful to play here. But today was not my day.”
Borg isn’t the only child of a famous athlete competing at the event. The No.10-seeded Dutchman Christian Lerby, son of former Denmark and Ajax legend Soren Lerby, also played, knocking out the No. 2 seed from France, Timo Legout, 6-3, 6-4.
Unlike Borg, the No.7-ranked Brandon Nakashima of the US has already qualified for the Junior Championships at Wimbledon for the top 150 juniors in the world, which starts on 6 July inside the Grounds of the All England Club.
It was really cool, going to Wimbledon for the first time... Such a special place to be around and just excited to come back this year and see how well I can do
The courts of Roehampton provide the tall American, the winner of the ITF Junior Masters in October, with ample time to hone his game before his second appearance in the boys’ singles.
“These courts are good to practise on,” Nakashima told wimbledon.com, adding he can’t wait to return to the All England Club.
“It was really cool, going to Wimbledon for the first time,” he said. “Such a special place to be around and just excited to come back this year and see how well I can do.”
Although the courts of Roehampton seem far removed from the hustle and bustle of The Championships, the success of 15-year-old Cori Gauff in the main draw is also a key talking point among junior players.
“It’s crazy, what she’s able to do at that age, not too many people can do that,” said Nakashima, who is two years older than Gauff. “It’s great to see her doing well. Hopefully, she keeps going far.”