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TENNIS
Mats Wilander Didn’t Have to Go the Whole Nine Yards…
…but the Swede did win nine tournaments to make sure 1983, his sophomore season was a resounding success
It was the first year after the legendary Björn Borg had officially retired from tennis. John McEnroe was at the peak of his professional career. The evergreen Jimmy Connors had managed to retain his enthusiasm, and was still winning big. Having won a handful of trophies Ivan Lendl was desperate to lay his hands on one of those that matters the most.
The exploits of this triumvirate, who palpably finished as the top three players on the circuit — as had been the case in the previous year as well, made 1983 one of the most competitive seasons on the ATP Tour. What made the year even more exciting is the fact that not only another player made significant strides but also won more competitions in this highly competitive season than the three big names mentioned.
Mats Wilander had announced his arrival at the game’s biggest stage in style. At just 17 years of age, the Swede had won the men’s singles discipline at the 1982 French Open. He proceeded to add another three titles to his resume by the end of the year. Not surprisingly, all of his four trophies had been won the clay courts.
