Credit: Patricia och Björn/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Björn Borg is a five-time Wimbledon champion and six-time winner of the French Open
- Björn’s older son, Robin Borg, pursued tennis in high school and college, before choosing a career in sports management
- Leo Borg, a professional tennis player, played his father in the 2017 biopic Borg vs. McEnroe
For tennis legend Björn Borg, the sport runs in the family: both his sons, Robin Borg and Leo Borg, have played competitively.
Borg is a one of the most famous and lauded tennis players of all time. He’s a five-time Wimbledon champion and a six-time winner of the French Open, with numerous victories in the Davis Cup.
His two children eventually followed in his footsteps. Robin, born in 1985, played competitive tennis in high school and college. Today, he works in sports management.
Meanwhile, Leo, born in 2003, has been a professional tennis player since he was a young teen.
“Ask any parent. You get more nervous watching your child play,” Borg told The Athleticin September 2024 about watching Leo on the court. “I do love to watch him, though. It’s just hard because, as a parent, you have no control.”
Here’s everything to know about Björn Borg’s two sons, Robin Borg and Leo Borg.
Robin Borg, 40
Credit: Patricia och Björn/Instagram
Borg and his then-girlfriend, Swedish model Jannike Björling, welcomed their son Robin in September 1985.
Borg and Björling dated for three years before splitting up in 1987, just shy of Robin’s second birthday, according to the Los Angeles Times. Robin went on to live in Sweden with his mother, the outlet reported.
When he was a teenager, Robin played competitive tennis, attending a tennis academy in Sweden during his high school years.
Though he was slated to study at the University of Alabama on a tennis scholarship in 2004, he chose to take some time off before enrolling at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2007.
While he also played tennis there, it wasn’t his main focus, choosing to pursue a major in marketing.
“My primary reason for coming to the United States is to receive a college education and to play tennis,” Robin told College Tennis Online that same year. “I’m certainly not here for the notoriety. I have no interest in playing professional tennis. I want to earn my degree and hopefully start my own business.”
In college, even with his 130 mph serve, Robin wanted to keep a low profile. He told the publication that while he had been “worried” about not being “accepted by the team,” it had turned out to be a smooth transition.
“I feel I am just ‘Robin Borg,’ not ‘the son of Bjorn Borg,’ and that is very important to me,” Robin said. “I view my parents, not as famous people, but as just mom and dad. I am very proud of them both.”
He went on to play two seasons during his time with the Warhawks, per a bio. By the time he was 30, Robin was working at his father’s clothing brand, according to CNN.
Today, he is the owner of Core Sports, a Swedish sports agency focusing on hockey players.
Leo Borg, 23
Credit: Patricia och Björn/Instagram
Borg and his third wife, Patricia Östfeld, welcomed their son Leo on May 15, 2003.
Speaking to The Sunday Timesin July 2025, Borg revealed that he initially hoped his younger child wouldn’t participate in the family sport.
“Leo was a very talented soccer player so we said, ‘Great, he’s not going to play tennis,’ ” Borg said, adding that Leo soon surprised him and Patricia by dreaming of a career on the court.
“And we said, ‘Really?’ Because it could be a disadvantage for him if they compare us. But it’s up to him,” Borg continued. “He travels all over the world and he plays very well.”
For his part, Leo doesn’t let Borg’s legacy affect him much, or put undue pressure on his own performance. “I understand it,” he told The New York Times in November 2018. “It’s not bothering me so much. I’ve always known who is my dad.”
He has since embraced tennis both on the court and on the big screen. Leo played the younger version of his father in the 2017 biopic Borg vs. McEnroe, about the legendary rivalry between the two star players.
He became a successful junior player, and has parlayed that into a successful adult career in pro tennis.
“[Leo] has a big heart for tennis,” Borg told CNN in June 2016, sharing that he often joined him on the road to watch his matches. “He plays for two or three hours every single day.”
Now, Borg always welcomes conversations with Leo about the sport.
“I support him, but I do not coach him,” Borg told The Athletic. “He knows he can come to me whenever he wants. He has a whole team around him. He lives in Stockholm. I live in Stockholm. He comes by. We talk.”
Read the original article on People
