0:00:02 > 0:00:03- UMPIRE:- Quiet, please.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06That's it!
0:00:07 > 0:00:10A fabulous match, a really fabulous match,
0:00:10 > 0:00:11and I believe it's one of the greatest,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15if not the greatest match I've ever seen at Wimbledon.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Wimbledon, the world's greatest tennis tournament.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27And the setting for some of the sport's most unforgettable moments.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30For British tennis fans, it's the green, green grass of home,
0:00:30 > 0:00:35and for two weeks every summer, a national obsession.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Over the years, we've been on the edge of our seats,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41glued to the television watching legend after legend battle it out,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45shot by shot, point by point,
0:00:45 > 0:00:47fist pump by fist pump,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50in a quest for the ultimate victory on Centre Court.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And over the decades, part of the thrill of watching Wimbledon
0:00:56 > 0:01:00has been witnessing its great rivalries.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Today, we're looking at some of the tournament's most titanic pairings.
0:01:03 > 0:01:08They are classic, head-to-head, angels v demons clashes.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12They've all helped to make the game a great gladiatorial spectacle
0:01:12 > 0:01:17as they've pushed each other to the limit, physically and mentally.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23Playing semifinals and finals, mind games and grudge matches.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Ooh, you just can't beat a good tennis rivalry.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31We're starting back in the '70s and '80s,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34with what is for many one of the greatest rivalries
0:01:34 > 0:01:36any sport has ever seen.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43For 16 years, they traded the women's number one position
0:01:43 > 0:01:47but it was Chris Evert who hit the circuit first
0:01:47 > 0:01:49and here she is in 1974, aged 19,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53discussing the will to win that would make her so hard to beat.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57If I beat someone I'm supposed to beat,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00who maybe is a lesser player then I feel good,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03but when I beat someone I'm not supposed to beat
0:02:03 > 0:02:06like Billie Jean King or Margaret Court,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08then it's just the greatest feeling because...
0:02:10 > 0:02:13..I feel not only I'm happy but my whole family
0:02:13 > 0:02:18and all my friends are happy too and what makes them happy...
0:02:18 > 0:02:21When you're playing against an opponent on the court, you know,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and there's a real struggle on, do you hate her?
0:02:24 > 0:02:27No, it's hard.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Some opponents you want to beat more than others.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Why?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Just because of their attitude.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38If you think their attitude is, you know, beat this girl and...
0:02:38 > 0:02:42But if your opponent really, you can sense they respect your game
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and they wouldn't mind losing to you, then it isn't that hard
0:02:46 > 0:02:48to take if you do lose.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52A few years after that, Martina Navratilova entered the stage
0:02:52 > 0:02:56with a style of play very different to Chrissie Evert's
0:02:56 > 0:02:58and as far as the fans were concerned, you were either
0:02:58 > 0:03:01for Chrissie or for Martina,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03and, having been married to an English man,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06most of the fans at Wimbledon anyway, were for Chrissie.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09They were apparently chalk and cheese
0:03:09 > 0:03:12but they went on to win two doubles Grand Slams together
0:03:12 > 0:03:15and off-court, it was all very friendly between them.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18How do you all get on in the locker room, the changing room,
0:03:18 > 0:03:19are the knives out?
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Are you all bitches to each other, catty, or what?
0:03:22 > 0:03:23Oh, of course not.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26No, actually we're very, very competitive on the court,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29you know, we want to really beat each other on the court
0:03:29 > 0:03:32but the girls are all pretty mature in that respect.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Once the match is over, they go up into the locker room and everybody,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37most of the girls are good friends.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40You know, we're watching TV, we're commenting on the players,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43or we're playing Scrabble or doing crossword puzzles.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46It's like a sorority.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Over their careers, they played each other a remarkable 80 times.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Navratilova won 43 of those clashes.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Evert, 37.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58The rivalry was something they cherished
0:03:58 > 0:04:01and even when a new generation pushed through in the '80s,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05for Chris, it was always all about Martina.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09It's tough, I feel threatened because I know how it feels
0:04:09 > 0:04:11at 15 or 16 years old to play a top player.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I mean, I was in that position when I was younger,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I would play Margaret Court or Billie Jean King
0:04:17 > 0:04:19and I know how they feel out there.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22They're loose, they feel no pressure at all,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24they just go for their shots.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27They feel no nerves and that's dangerous.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29If they win, it's a big upset.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33If they lose, they probably think well, I've got ten years to go,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35hopefully I'll beat her eventually.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39I feel very threatened by a lot of these players,
0:04:39 > 0:04:40Steffi Graf has taken me to three sets,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Sabatini has taken me to three sets.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Maleeva has taken me to three sets,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48so I've struggled with a lot of these players that are left
0:04:48 > 0:04:51and that's why on the court I know they're tough
0:04:51 > 0:04:54but psychologically it's not the same, you know,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56playing them, as Martina.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00The bulk of when I was dominating
0:05:00 > 0:05:03was at the same time with Chris and for
0:05:03 > 0:05:07so many years one of us was number one and the other was number two,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10so we were at the top of our game at the same time,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13so two of the all-time greats playing against each other
0:05:13 > 0:05:17and you really are only as good as your opposition in tennis,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19particularly, because you depend on the opponent
0:05:19 > 0:05:22to hit you great shots so that you have to hit your great shots back.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23You're only as good as your opponent,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25so we really did bring out the best in each other.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30We always respected each other and there was a lot of dignity,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33a lot of fair play and, er,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36we were always like Chris said, after the match,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39one of us would be consoling the other,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43we were always very empathetic to each other and that's nice.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48It was nice, but not always easy, especially for Chris,
0:05:48 > 0:05:53as Martina discusses here with another great, Billie Jean King.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I mean, she was a big star when I first came on the tour,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57so I was just happy that she said hello to me,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00but then we played doubles together, actually won here in '76
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and we were pretty close, and
0:06:02 > 0:06:05then when I started beating Chris,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07then she pulled back a little bit.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12She had a harder time handling it and then I realised if I want to be
0:06:12 > 0:06:13number one, I have to beat Chris.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17She's the one. So there was a little bit of tension for a couple of years
0:06:17 > 0:06:23but then we got close again and we still stay in touch, and yes,
0:06:23 > 0:06:28we have so many memories that only the two of us can share and it was
0:06:28 > 0:06:34weird because one's joy was always at the expense of the other.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37One of us was happy as heck and the other was miserable,
0:06:37 > 0:06:42but we always had that empathy for each other and respect.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Chris couldn't get close when she was competing.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50In fact, she said to me, "Billie, we can't be friends right now.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51"I just can't play you."
0:06:51 > 0:06:55But that was great because it's great when you get that honesty.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56I said, "OK, Chris, I hear you,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58"we'll be friends when we finish our careers.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01"When I finish my career, because I'm going to be first,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04"and we'll be friends" and we had that agreement,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07so I really tried to give her her space, especially at tournaments.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11When we were away from tournaments, we could be more friendly,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14but once I came to a tournament I really tried to give her her space
0:07:14 > 0:07:16because she was very clear and she needed that
0:07:16 > 0:07:18to be able to compete against you.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20That's what you were saying, it happened to you as well.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23She couldn't handle it if she tried to be friends, she couldn't do it,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26and she was very honest about it which I thought was great.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Chris Evert was beaten in all of the five Wimbledon singles finals that
0:07:30 > 0:07:33she played against Navratilova.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34She usually kept her cool,
0:07:34 > 0:07:39but when players regularly struggle against one particular opponent,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41they can turn any match into a grudge match
0:07:41 > 0:07:44simply by getting frustrated and angry.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Angry with themselves, angry with their big rival,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49angry with everything.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Most of us are aggressive.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Jimmy Connors, even though he's a baseline player,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58is a very aggressive player,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00the way he hits the ball and I don't think any one of us,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04you talk to John McEnroe or Kathy Jordan or myself or any of us,
0:08:04 > 0:08:09we're not proud of it by any means, but we also are this way.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Our genetic pool made us this way,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15maybe the environment we were around growing up, I don't know,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18but I'm not delighted about when I used to get upset
0:08:18 > 0:08:21with the umpire, or whatever.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25You can't do that.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26We have a service line.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28- UMPIRE:- Second service.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Billie Jean King mentioned Jimmy Connors there,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38himself one of the greats and a double Wimbledon winner in 1974
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and again, eight years later, in 1982.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Over a long career he had several big rivalries, with John McEnroe,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Bjorn Borg and the late Arthur Ashe,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51the only black man to win the Wimbledon title,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54famously beating Connors in the 1975 final.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58And they definitely weren't friends.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59Before that famous match,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Ashe had called Connors unpatriotic for refusing to play
0:09:02 > 0:09:05in America's Davis Cup team.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07In return, Connors sued for libel,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10demanding millions of dollars in damages.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13He dropped his action after losing the game.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16But theirs remained a truly bitter rivalry.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It's no secret that you aren't the best of friends off the court.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Does this affect the game at all in any way?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25No, I don't think about it one way or the other.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And the impending lawsuit didn't cross your mind at all?
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Well, the lawsuit has never crossed my mind because the lawsuit has
0:09:32 > 0:09:36about a one in a million chance of going his way.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38What did Connors say to you when you beat him at the end?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- He didn't say anything. - Did that surprise you?
0:09:41 > 0:09:43No. I didn't say anything either.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45- Why not?- What can I say?
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I just shook his hand and walked off.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Connors was a scrapper.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56He would attack his opponents with a style of play politely described as
0:09:56 > 0:09:59angry, aggressive and intimidating.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Sound familiar? Yep!
0:10:01 > 0:10:03He and John McEnroe were two of a kind.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05And if you were talking to one,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07you'd usually ask him about the other.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Did you ever use that kind of, as you say, that brashness,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17that extraordinary aggression which you epitomise perhaps more than
0:10:17 > 0:10:21anybody on the tennis court, do you ever use it to put off an opponent?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24It was never used to put anybody off, that was just my style.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27You never used it to irritate McEnroe, for instance?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I thought you used to send up poor old McEnroe something terrible.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31You probably still do.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36We've had some controversy over the years in our matches and
0:10:36 > 0:10:41we've actually played about 32 times and every match that we have
0:10:41 > 0:10:44is exciting for me, but it always brings out the best in both of us,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- which is great.- Yeah, but it looks as if you hate each other,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49with a deep and abiding hatred.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Well, I've lived my career that way, feeling that way.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- Hating the opponent? - Yes, only for that time, though.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59My tennis never went beyond the tennis courts.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03I get upset when I've lost and react accordingly,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07but I never took my tennis home with me,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09as far as living the match over and over.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I'd get upset, don't get me wrong, I did do that,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15but I would never take my aggressions out on my family.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16It stopped at the tennis.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I didn't want to go back and relive that time,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20whether I won or whether I lost,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22it was over and I had to play another day.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25There's a big thing made about there being a good loser.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26You're a rotten loser, aren't you?
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Well, I'm going to agree with that.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I hate to lose more than I like to win,
0:11:31 > 0:11:36and because of that attitude I try to give it that one little extra
0:11:36 > 0:11:40or whatever it takes to try to ward off those losses, and
0:11:40 > 0:11:45being a good loser, it's easy to be a good loser if it happens often.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46You get plenty of practice.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48You get plenty of practice, that's right,
0:11:48 > 0:11:53and it's a trap that I never really wanted to fall into
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and I'm sure nobody wants to get used to.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00When you're in the locker room with say McEnroe before a big match,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04do you do a lot of talking together, or do you snarl at each other?
0:12:04 > 0:12:05There's not much talking really,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08it's a very... It's not a sombre time
0:12:08 > 0:12:11but it's a quiet time to really collect your thoughts and figure out
0:12:11 > 0:12:14what you're going to do once you're out on the court.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I think more or less when I was younger it was more of,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19"You take your corner, I'll take my corner,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23"and then we'll meet on the court and do battle."
0:12:23 > 0:12:24Now it's a little bit different.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28A lot of people think that McEnroe and I don't have a rapport
0:12:28 > 0:12:29or a friendship, which is wrong.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32We do, away from the tennis.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37But it's very difficult to be friends with men and boys
0:12:37 > 0:12:39that you're competing against.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43And here is one of the boys that Connors was competing against.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Well, McEnroe is actually 21 here
0:12:46 > 0:12:50but this is his first proper sit down interview with the BBC,
0:12:50 > 0:12:51from 1980.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54His antics had already earned him the nickname Superbrat,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57but this exchange comes after a period of relative calm,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00and here he seems to be saying that his famous tantrums
0:13:00 > 0:13:02were a thing of the past.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Well, here I am, it's been really pleasant the last week or whatever
0:13:05 > 0:13:08just playing the tournament and not having to get up every morning
0:13:08 > 0:13:11and read the front page or the back page and seeing your name
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and the bad things written about it.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's nice just to go out there and do what you're supposed to
0:13:15 > 0:13:18be doing, whatever and not have to worry about those...
0:13:18 > 0:13:20It was so uncomfortable just walking around and every paper,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22there's papers all over the place
0:13:22 > 0:13:24and that's what made it really uncomfortable.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28I mean, it's definitely partially my own fault but I thought
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I was really unfairly treated and now they are treating me fine.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35How do you feel that you contributed to this?
0:13:35 > 0:13:37What part of it was your own fault?
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Well, the fact that, like, I always grew up believing
0:13:40 > 0:13:43that if there was something wrong you should argue,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45you shouldn't just forget about it.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47I mean, when you see like a bad call, you shouldn't go,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49"Well, that's a bad call" and not think about it,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52you go up there and say, that ball was in or out or whatever.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55That was just the way I reacted and the way I reacted was a lot more
0:13:55 > 0:13:58forceful than another person going up there, "Did you see?"
0:13:58 > 0:14:00And I'll go, "That ball was like definitely..."
0:14:00 > 0:14:03I'll be really a lot louder I guess about it.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05It wasn't appreciated too often.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08So you've consciously tuned that part of your court reaction down?
0:14:08 > 0:14:12I try, just because I wasn't feeling comfortable here
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and I know I'm going to be back here for quite a few more years
0:14:15 > 0:14:16and I don't want to come here every year,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19even if I feel like that was the right way to do it, you know,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I still feel you have a right to argue the call but if that's not...
0:14:22 > 0:14:24They don't want to see you stalling.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26If they think you're stalling, even if you're not,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29so I want to be back here a lot of times
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and I don't want it to be like that all the time.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Do you ever get bored with playing tennis?
0:14:33 > 0:14:35I get bored, I get tired.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38I mean, just travelling around the world and the amount I've played
0:14:38 > 0:14:41the last few years, it really gets you tired sometimes.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43And when you play a tough match or whatever and it's close
0:14:43 > 0:14:46you have a tendency to... Your mind just goes off and wanders
0:14:46 > 0:14:48in a different place and all of a sudden,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51you're not playing the game that you should be playing.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53That's happened to me a couple of times this year.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56You said that you earned £1.5 million last year.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- No, I didn't say that. - You've been quoted as saying that.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01I've never been quoted as saying that. That's totally untrue.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Is this because you don't want to say how much you earned last year
0:15:04 > 0:15:06or just the figure is wrong?
0:15:06 > 0:15:08The figure's wrong and I wouldn't really want to say it either.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- The figure's more, let me just tell you that.- The figure is more?
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- A lot more.- But do you regard that as money that was easily earned?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Again, you were quoted as saying you were surprised how easy it was.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22I think it's easy in the sense that you go to a person who works 9 to 5
0:15:22 > 0:15:26every day for five days a week or whatever and earns 20, 30,000
0:15:26 > 0:15:27and then you turn around
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and I'm playing tennis and I'm making all this money.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32I mean, I know it's, like, I worked hard for it,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I know I travel all around the world to get it,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37but I know that it's pretty much like an outrageous sum of money.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39But, I mean, if there is a lot of people that want to watch it
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and a lot of people pay you to wear their clothes
0:15:42 > 0:15:44or use their racket and stuff like that.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46If there are going to do that, you don't say,
0:15:46 > 0:15:47"No thanks, I'll do it for free."
0:15:47 > 0:15:50So when you play, are you playing because of the money
0:15:50 > 0:15:53or because the public is there or because of yourself?
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Well, when I was ten or whatever, there was no money in tennis.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00When I first started playing at eight or nine or ten, I mean,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03it was just when open tennis started so I never thought about it then.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Now, I mean... You get to the...
0:16:05 > 0:16:07When you get you want... My parents always wanted me...
0:16:07 > 0:16:10All they wanted me to do was go to college and play Davis Cup.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12That was it. I mean, there's no money in that.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15So then when I started playing and all this money starts coming in,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18I mean, obviously you go, "It's nice to win this."
0:16:18 > 0:16:20But you realise it's more important to win...
0:16:20 > 0:16:23You realise within yourself that it's more important
0:16:23 > 0:16:25to win the bigger tournaments and that's what you want to do.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28If you win Wimbledon you'll get a lot of money anyway.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29That's not why you want to win Wimbledon?
0:16:29 > 0:16:32I want to win a Wimbledon because when I was a kid,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34the ultimate thing is I looked up to Rod Laver
0:16:34 > 0:16:37because he won the Grand Slam and he was my idol and because...
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Not because... I never had any idea how much money those guys made.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42I mean, money had nothing to do with it.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I don't know exactly how much, you know, Borg makes, or Connors.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47And they don't know how much I make.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49If you weren't a tennis player what would you have liked to have been?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51A rock and roll star.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- Do you have any musical talent?- No.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Despite the good intentions expressed there,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Super Mac, the super brat,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01didn't manage to stay out of trouble,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05picking up fines and warnings every year for the next decade.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09No surprise, really. And it made it all a lot more fun.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12That year, 1980, he lost in the final against Borg.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16In '81, McEnroe got his revenge and beat Borg.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19'82 saw a great Connors comeback and he beat McEnroe.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Three of the best ever, three interlinked rivalries.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28We had a triangle that was really something special in the sport
0:17:28 > 0:17:32and to have had a rivalry with one is something.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35And I had one with two.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38By far and away my two greatest rivals were Jimmy and Bjorn.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40- CONNORS:- Borg and McEnroe.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42We certainly went at it for many years.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46If I came up with one great point John came up with a better point.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48It was always like this.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- CONNORS:- We had rivalries which meant something.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- BORG:- Every single point was like a match point for Jimmy.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56To beat Jimmy you had to play your best game.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57- CONNORS:- The rivalries were real.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59- MCENROE:- But there's a respect. - Exactly.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03They were my three that I wanted to be like when I was growing up,
0:18:03 > 0:18:04the three I admired the most.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09I mean, certainly Bjorn Borg for his coolness and has calmness
0:18:09 > 0:18:11because I was always hot tempered.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15So to look at him and go, "Wow, how does he do that?"
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And then Jimmy Connors, just the way he fought and competed every point.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22You know, he's a little guy who used to run everything down and fight.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26And McEnroe's style of play,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29his attacking style, was what I wanted to play like.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- They were legends. - They had an aura about them.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Borg was known as the Ice Man -
0:18:35 > 0:18:37always supercool.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40As we've seen, Connors and McEnroe could easily explode.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Letting off steam, yes, but also, perhaps,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46putting their opponents off their game.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50But blowing your top isn't the only way to try and get one over a rival.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Here's British hero Fred Perry, no less,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56on the advantages of getting a sneaky bit of inside info.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03I was on the massage table and I said to the masseur...
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Er, you know. He said, "You're in great shape.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08I said, "Am I?" He said, "You're in great shape."
0:19:08 > 0:19:10And I said, "Well, I have to be today."
0:19:10 > 0:19:12He said, "What makes you think so?"
0:19:12 > 0:19:15I said, "I've got a rough match today."
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Because this was very important to me, not only for the third time,
0:19:18 > 0:19:19because of the professional angle too.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Because in those days you were all amateur and if you won Wimbledon
0:19:23 > 0:19:26once or twice you'd turn pro quickly
0:19:26 > 0:19:28because that was where the money was.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32So, er, he said, "Oh, no.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34"He's got a cramp right now."
0:19:34 > 0:19:36So I said, "Well, you wouldn't happen
0:19:36 > 0:19:39"to know where it was, would you?" So, he said, "Well, no.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42"I can't tell you that but he's going to have a lot of trouble
0:19:42 > 0:19:44"stretching wide to the right."
0:19:44 > 0:19:48I was a great believer in, if you get the man down, you stamp on him.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51You never give a man a second chance if you can avoid it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Because he wouldn't give you one either.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56And if you've got him on the ropes
0:19:56 > 0:20:00then you make sure that he stays there.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03But if you aren't friends with the masseuse,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07don't care to swear and have a temper that's tiny,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09you can always try the most controversial
0:20:09 > 0:20:11and irritating distraction tactic...
0:20:12 > 0:20:13..grunting.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16LOUD GRUNT
0:20:16 > 0:20:18You can screech all you want in-between the shots,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22but when you're hitting the ball I need to hear the ball hit the racket
0:20:22 > 0:20:25cos you see the ball according to how it hits the racket first.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27So you're depending on the sound.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30But when you hear it then you react to how the ball is coming to you.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34I think they need to outlaw the grunting. It's very simple.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Roger Federer doesn't make any noise when he's playing.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Famous exponents of the art of grunting include Connors...
0:20:40 > 0:20:41GRUNTS
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Rafa Nadal.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44GRUNTS
0:20:44 > 0:20:45Maria Sharapova.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47GRUNTS
0:20:47 > 0:20:48Serena Williams.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50- GRUNTS - Come on!
0:20:50 > 0:20:51Nice.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52Andre Agassi.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54GRUNTS
0:20:54 > 0:20:55And, perhaps most famously...
0:20:55 > 0:20:56GRUNTS
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Monica Seles.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01I don't like it when Monica was too loud,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03when she was at Wimbledon that one year.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05In fact, Nathalie Tauziat, the French player,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07this year at the Open asked me,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10"Do you think Maria is louder than Monica?"
0:21:10 > 0:21:11I'm like, "It's a toss up.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14"I think, overall, Maria's louder
0:21:14 > 0:21:18"but at that particular Wimbledon I think Monica was as loud."
0:21:18 > 0:21:20LOUD GRUNTING
0:21:21 > 0:21:23I think it was 1992 Wimbledon,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25I definitely got a lot of publicity for it
0:21:25 > 0:21:29and after that it kind of took on a life of its own.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And when they had the grunt-o-meters and all that stuff,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36but if anybody had seen me in the juniors since age seven,
0:21:36 > 0:21:37they'd see I grunted the same way
0:21:37 > 0:21:40and there are thousands of other girls who grunt.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44And right now, of course, I'm in the lower decibels
0:21:44 > 0:21:46compared to the girls at this stage.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Monica Seles was half of one of the biggest tennis rivalries
0:21:50 > 0:21:52of the late '80s and '90s.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Her nemesis - Steffi Graf.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58For a while it looked as though they would go on to match the intensity
0:21:58 > 0:22:00of Evert and Navratilova.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04They had played each other 15 times, Graf winning ten.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09But in 1993, it was Seles who was ranked as world number one and who
0:22:09 > 0:22:12seemed to be emerging as the more dominant force.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Then the truly shocking happened.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19The world's leading woman tennis player, Monica Seles,
0:22:19 > 0:22:20has been stabbed with a knife
0:22:20 > 0:22:23by a spectator at a tournament in Germany.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26During a game in Hamburg, a crazed fan of Graf's,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29obsessed with Steffi regaining the top spot,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31stabbed Seles in the back.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34She took a two-year break from tennis but her form,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37unsurprisingly, never truly recovered.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Her attacker only received a two-year suspended sentence.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42The day before you were worried
0:22:42 > 0:22:44about getting ready for the French Open
0:22:44 > 0:22:45and that's what was in your mind,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49and now you're getting ready that someone's wanted to take your career
0:22:49 > 0:22:50away, or trying to kill you.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54So one extreme to the other and you realise that,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58"Wow, the sport can be taken away in one minute of your life,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02"everything can change." So there was a lot of differences
0:23:02 > 0:23:05as to what was going on in my mind.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Everything is on camera.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09It's a very straightforward case.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12A gentleman comes from behind, stabs me,
0:23:12 > 0:23:17a 19-year-old girl sitting during a tennis match and it's all on video.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19I mean, there's no argument and he admits it.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22I think that's a simple case.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26So I decided to move on and the choice that I made,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28I'm very happy about it.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32You know, there's nothing to ask anyone for advice or go back to,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35"What should I do now?"
0:23:38 > 0:23:40The peak of the Seles-Graf rivalry
0:23:40 > 0:23:45coincided with another of the great rivalries of the men's game.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Pistol Pete Sampras versus Andre Agassi.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50A clash of styles and temperament.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Agassi was the wild child.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Sampras was businesslike and clinically efficient.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Those qualities saw him win,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01not only 20 of the 34 encounters he had with Agassi,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04but also seven Wimbledon singles titles.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09But despite Pistol Pete's vaguely exciting-sounding nickname,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12many found his serve and serve style of play...
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Well, just a bit boring.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19I think the transition from McEnroe and Connors to myself
0:24:19 > 0:24:22and those guys, you know, those guys are so outspoken
0:24:22 > 0:24:24to me being very introverted.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28I mean, it was an easy out to kind of talk about me
0:24:28 > 0:24:33was that I was boring and so I always look back at it
0:24:33 > 0:24:36and kind of never understand it.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I didn't waste energy arguing with people or umpires.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43I didn't want to show my opponent what I was doing, how I was feeling.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46It was smart and just the way I was.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51You know, I remember playing a doubles match
0:24:51 > 0:24:54with John McEnroe in the Davis cup.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56And you could talk about Jekyll and Hyde here.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59He was so emotional
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and I was just drained sitting next to him.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I mean, Jesus, just shut up there for a minute.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06He was complaining about line calls from ten minutes ago.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I said, "John, what are you doing here?"
0:25:08 > 0:25:11And he'd tell me, "I'm exhausted here" and I couldn't imagine
0:25:11 > 0:25:15playing my career like that and just the highs and lows of that emotion.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19And that's why I was able to stay on top for as long as I did
0:25:19 > 0:25:23and win a number of Majors was because I was in control.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25You know, people say lighten up.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27And I really took offence to the "lighten up" part out there.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30I mean, I'm out there to kick ass and take names.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32I'm not out here to make friends.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36There's a lot of parents that come up to me today that say,
0:25:36 > 0:25:37"You're great for my kid.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41"I love the fact that you acted the way you did because you,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43"compared to McEnroe and Connors,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46"you're not a brat and you did play great tennis
0:25:46 > 0:25:50"and you did it with a certain class that I try to show my child."
0:25:50 > 0:25:51And that means more to me
0:25:51 > 0:25:54than a great article or cover story or whatever.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57I mean, that feels like I'm affecting someone's life
0:25:57 > 0:25:58in a positive way.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05By the early 2000s, Sampras's reign was coming to an end.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Shortly afterwards, Roger Federer replaced him at the top,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and he's never been called boring.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Smooth, effortless, suave,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16perfectly balanced, athletic, poised.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20This is how the Swiss superstar's game was described from the start.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Here's an interview from back in 2003.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Roger had just beaten Mark Philippoussis
0:26:25 > 0:26:27to win his first Wimbledon.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31But, back then, Sampras, with 14 Grand Slams in his kitbag,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33still cast a giant shadow over the men's game.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37I mean, it's well documented
0:26:37 > 0:26:39that Sampras in effect was your inspiration, wasn't he,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42to take the game up, to take it to the levels that you have taken it?
0:26:42 > 0:26:46What, beyond the sheer scale of his 14 Grand Slams,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48do you admire about Pete Sampras?
0:26:48 > 0:26:53You know, I think he has got just unbelievable serve.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57People underestimate it because he's got such a great all-round game,
0:26:57 > 0:27:02plus his personality is rather relaxed and cool.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06He seems like he doesn't want to almost stand in the limelight.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08That's how it looked like anyway.
0:27:08 > 0:27:14But I think he went through a lot of periods of tennis, had great rivals,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18rivalries with Becker and Edberg and Agassi.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21He had them all. So I think, you know,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23he's the guy with the most experience around.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24You weren't surprised
0:27:24 > 0:27:26when he announced his retirement at Flushing Meadows?
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- I was a little bit.- Were you?- Yes.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31I thought he would come back one more time to...
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- To defend his title, at least? - No, not at the US Open.
0:27:34 > 0:27:35- To Wimbledon.- Really?
0:27:35 > 0:27:37I thought he...
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I don't know, two Swiss guys beating him in a row.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Doesn't taste good for him.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- But, you know, that's his decision. - Of course, of course.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48The key, I think, to your popularity,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51certainly in Britain and doubtless around the world,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53is the style with which you play.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57We've been used to serve, volley and now there's a debate about
0:27:57 > 0:27:59the metronomic rhythms of the clay court game,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02but your game clearly is an all-round game.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Let me throw a few quotes at you.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Boris Becker described you as "poetry in motion."
0:28:07 > 0:28:08McEnroe said a player like yourself
0:28:08 > 0:28:11comes along once every ten or 20 years.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Your stroke play has been described as artistry.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16I mean, these are vast compliments.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Do you recognise yourself when you're described like that?
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Phew! You know, you can get a little confidence,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27maybe too much, you know. But it's always nice to hear...
0:28:27 > 0:28:29It can be overwhelming.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Yes, it can be. You know, I've heard, actually
0:28:32 > 0:28:35not compliments like this in the past, but,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37"Oh, this guy, he can make it.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40"He's got everything it takes to win a slam and all this."
0:28:40 > 0:28:42So I've heard a lot of it, you know.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46I always just try to say, "Listen, I hope I can live up to all
0:28:46 > 0:28:50"these things," but, I have to say, Wimbledon, it was magic for me
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and the way I played in the semis and the final.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Erm, it's obviously very nice to hear.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02As Roger was celebrating his first Wimbledon win,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05the women's game was witnessing a phenomenon that we're now used to,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08but which at the time seemed extraordinary -
0:29:08 > 0:29:12the sibling rivalry of the Williams sisters.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15At first older sister, Venus, dominated.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17But since as long ago as 2002,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Serena has had the edge over her sister
0:29:20 > 0:29:23and almost everyone else.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26The sisters would say they didn't enjoy going head-to-head,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29and critics complained it was all too obvious that they didn't relish
0:29:29 > 0:29:33their contests, even accusing them of lacking passion.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37But in this interview with Jonathan Ross from 2007, Serena seems
0:29:37 > 0:29:41perfectly happy at the prospect of overtaking Venus's then larger haul
0:29:41 > 0:29:43of Wimbledon trophies.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- Your sister's coming over. - Yes, she's already here.
0:29:48 > 0:29:49We flew over so we're both here.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52- You're playing doubles together? - We're playing doubles.
0:29:52 > 0:29:53Is she going to be in the singles?
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Yes, she's playing singles. Hopefully I won't have to play her.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57How competitive are you?
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Because I think she's won Wimbledon three times, am I right?
0:30:00 > 0:30:03I know, and it sucks because I had a chance to win the third time
0:30:03 > 0:30:04and I kind of choked.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09She's one up against me so I'm going to catch up.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11I don't care when, why or how,
0:30:11 > 0:30:16I'm going to get at least three or four soon because she's ahead of me
0:30:16 > 0:30:20right now and I'm, like, the little sister, I want everything she has.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23When your mum and dad are watching you guys play against each other,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26as they have any number of times, who do they root for?
0:30:26 > 0:30:29I have no idea. I couldn't do it. My parents are amazing.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33I think they root for whoever's down.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37If we're tied they're neutral but whoever's down they root for them.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38Because I was thinking,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41I was watching them one time when you guys were playing and I can't
0:30:41 > 0:30:44remember who won that year and they just sort of stood up and went...
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Because whoever loses, it doesn't really matter.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49They're going home with the winner and the loser.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52They were kind of like, "Yeah, good match. Let's get a sandwich."
0:30:52 > 0:30:54- Exactly.- It wasn't the normal elation.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56Yeah, we both love it and my parents, honestly,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58I couldn't do it. It's too hard for me.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Do the two of you ever let yourself go completely?
0:31:01 > 0:31:03You have to be physically at the top of your game
0:31:03 > 0:31:04but are you allowed just to pig out?
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Do you ever say, "We're not going to work all this week.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10"We're going to get lots of Bette Midler movies and lots of chocolate,
0:31:10 > 0:31:11"watch Beaches four times in a row."
0:31:11 > 0:31:15You know, Venus and I are really concerned about staying fit
0:31:15 > 0:31:18and staying healthy and living the fit and healthy life
0:31:18 > 0:31:20because a lot of people, especially in the United States,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23are not healthy and it hurts their heart and affects their heart,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26so we are actually over the top.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29We never want to become unfit and unhealthy.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- You never going to let yourself go? - No, I don't want to.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34I mean, maybe a day but never a week.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36How much time do you spend, the two of you, working out?
0:31:36 > 0:31:39- How much time do you spend training? - It's a lot of work.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41One time I thought about it. It's like a nine to five.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44I wake up at nine, I go train for two hours.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46After that, I go to the gym for a couple of hours
0:31:46 > 0:31:48and I do another workout and then
0:31:48 > 0:31:50by the time I get home, it's like four or five o'clock
0:31:50 > 0:31:53and I'm thinking, "This is like a regular job."
0:31:53 > 0:31:56But my job is to stay in shape and to go to the gym and to play tennis.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59- So that's how I look at it.- I think this is the first year here at
0:31:59 > 0:32:03Wimbledon that the prize money for women is the same as it is for men.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05- Isn't that great?- That is quite something.- It's awesome.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07It's been a long while coming.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11You know what? It has been a long time. I know in the US Open,
0:32:11 > 0:32:15it started in 1970 something, please don't quote me.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19But in the '70s, they offered equal prize money to women
0:32:19 > 0:32:21when Billie Jean King and other women stood up for themselves
0:32:21 > 0:32:25and they said we are not to accept this, we want equal prize money.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29And now it's 2007, 30, 40 years later.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33It's a long time but we've come a long way and I think we deserve it,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36personally, because, like I said in my interviews,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39when I was three and four years old
0:32:39 > 0:32:41I worked just as hard as Roger Federer
0:32:41 > 0:32:46as Rafael Nadal, as all the men players.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49You know, I was out there, I missed things that I couldn't do.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51There were so many things that I did, I play tennis,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54so why wouldn't I deserve the same amount they're getting?
0:32:54 > 0:32:57You went on the same journey as them and I don't think any less people
0:32:57 > 0:32:59- want to watch the woman playing than the men.- Absolutely.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02As a fan of the game, obviously I like looking at ladies,
0:33:02 > 0:33:03but just the way the game is played.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Sometimes you see a greater level of skill
0:33:06 > 0:33:09and better shots and a better tactics in that game than the men's.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Sometimes, yeah. I mean, I love watching the women playing.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14It's actually my favourite to watch.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Let me ask you about whether or not,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19if you do get back to being number one, how do you stay there?
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Because you've been number one in the game a number of times.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Being number one...
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Getting there is the easy job.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29I think the hard part is staying there because everyone wants to play
0:33:29 > 0:33:32you tough and beat the number one player
0:33:32 > 0:33:34and so I think when you get there
0:33:34 > 0:33:36you have to work harder than what you did to get there.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Do you have any kind of superstitious aspect to your game?
0:33:39 > 0:33:41Do you have any rituals before you go out,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43anything you want to carry out to the game?
0:33:43 > 0:33:47I have too many superstitious rituals and it's annoying because,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50it's like I have to do it and if I don't I'll lose.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52And I'm not losing because I didn't play well,
0:33:52 > 0:33:57I lost because I didn't tie my shoe the right way and it's totally
0:33:57 > 0:33:59ridiculous because you know...
0:33:59 > 0:34:03I have to use the same shower, use the same sandals,
0:34:03 > 0:34:05travel with the same bags.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09I don't know if you ever watch me, but I bounce the ball five times.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Every time? Every time before you serve?
0:34:11 > 0:34:13My first serve and twice on the second.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16- It's important you get that.- That's for you, not for the other player?
0:34:16 > 0:34:19- And it's not to put them off a little bit?- No, it's just for me.
0:34:19 > 0:34:20And it's just annoying.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24How can I be thinking about this and playing at the same time?
0:34:27 > 0:34:32Whilst the Williams sisters have had a remarkable hold over the recent
0:34:32 > 0:34:36women's game, things haven't been so clear cut in the men's game.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Because, just as in the halcyon days of Connors, Borg and McEnroe,
0:34:40 > 0:34:44there have been three, not two, players fighting for supremacy.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46We've already heard from Roger Federer.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50The other two - Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Together, in terms of Grand Slam titles,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55this trio were locked in battle for over a decade.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Roger, so elegant.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Novak, possibly the greatest returner of serve ever.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02And Rafa, the king of clay.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Supremely athletic and supremely intimidating.
0:35:06 > 0:35:07Too intimidating.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Well, let's see what he once said about that,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and his relationship with Roger, in conversation with Rob Bonnet.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Let's talk a little bit about your playing style.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20I mean it's very physical, isn't it?
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Some people would even say it was intimidating.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25How would you describe it?
0:35:25 > 0:35:27No, I don't think...
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Everybody speaks about the physical,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34but I feel like everybody is very
0:35:34 > 0:35:37good in physical performance on tour.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Sure, I have a good physical performance but
0:35:39 > 0:35:44my style, maybe it was more physical three years ago than right now.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47So every year, I am improving a little bit more at tennis
0:35:47 > 0:35:50and I don't have to use that physical.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53There are suggestions on the tennis circuit that there is a kind of
0:35:53 > 0:35:56psychological intimidation that goes on in your game.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Let me quote you something from
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Leyton Hewitt's former coach, Roger Rashid.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03He told the Daily Express newspaper in London that,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06"In the locker room Rafa is very intense.
0:36:06 > 0:36:07"He's always running around
0:36:07 > 0:36:09"and trying to apply the intimidation factor.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11"The referee can come in and say, 'We're ready to play,'
0:36:11 > 0:36:14"but sure enough, he just had to go to the toilet one more time
0:36:14 > 0:36:17"and then sits there making his opponent wait for another minute."
0:36:17 > 0:36:21I mean, you're aware that there are a number of allegations
0:36:21 > 0:36:25from coaches, from other players, from the press
0:36:25 > 0:36:28that you spend a lot of time, wasting time.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33I like to go out on court 100%
0:36:33 > 0:36:38so I have a good warm up and
0:36:38 > 0:36:40I run, I...
0:36:40 > 0:36:44everything, I jump but not for intimidate.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46- No?- I only think about me.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Sure, 100%.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52I mean, do you deliberately make opponents wait on the court?
0:36:52 > 0:36:54No, I don't.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57But I always arrive a little bit late
0:36:57 > 0:37:01so I have to improve that, I know.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Not only on court, I have to improve that in all my life.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Why does it happen though?
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Because you have a number of mannerisms, don't you?
0:37:08 > 0:37:11You bounce the ball a lot of times, you fiddle with your clothing.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13There's a whole routine you go through,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15which very often goes beyond the 20 seconds
0:37:15 > 0:37:17which is allowed between points.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20There's going to be changes in this year.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22- Oh, you're promising us that, are you?- I promise, yes.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25So you're conscious that it's a problem with you?
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Yes, I'm going to pull out some things.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Let's talk a little bit, because I suppose we must do,
0:37:30 > 0:37:34about Federer. Are you waiting for him to retire before you can
0:37:34 > 0:37:36become the world number one?
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- No.- No?- Absolutely not.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42I'm very happy to be number two, I'm very happy about my results.
0:37:42 > 0:37:48I'm very happy about being the rival of him for the last years.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51My rival is probably the best in history.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Being involved in this rivalry
0:37:55 > 0:37:59against the best in history is a very nice with me too.
0:37:59 > 0:38:00Well, your rivalry with Federer
0:38:00 > 0:38:02is one of the great rivalries of tennis,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05it's up there alongside Evert and Navratilova,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07alongside Borg and McEnroe.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10But for all the generosity that you've shown Federer
0:38:10 > 0:38:14and acknowledgement of his talents don't you, nevertheless,
0:38:14 > 0:38:16have to hate him a bit to beat him?
0:38:18 > 0:38:22- No?- No. I respect him a lot.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25He's a very nice guy. We have a very good relationship.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29But that's the problem, isn't it? If you like him too much,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32- it becomes difficult to beat him. - I don't think.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36- No?- I'm a very competitive guy but I know that it's only a game.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38And...
0:38:38 > 0:38:43Outside of the court, everything can be 100% fine
0:38:43 > 0:38:48because it's only a game and we're normal guys.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52- So for that reason we have a normal relationship.- Yes.
0:38:52 > 0:38:57So if I am on court I am going to do everything for a win
0:38:57 > 0:39:01and I fight every tournament to try to be better than him.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05And always it's very good to have a reference on him
0:39:05 > 0:39:07for to be a better player.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09I have Roger number one,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13number two always is good
0:39:13 > 0:39:16because you know you have to improve a lot of things.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20If I am not the number one it's not because I have a good relationship
0:39:20 > 0:39:24with him. It's because he is better than the rest.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27But of course the difficulties came in 2007 at Wimbledon.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31You got to the final and were beaten in a very dramatic five-setter
0:39:31 > 0:39:33in the final by Federer, weren't you?
0:39:33 > 0:39:35There were some pretty dark moments,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37I think, for you in the locker room afterwards.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39- Tell us about that? - Yes, there was tough moments.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43It was the second final in a row for me
0:39:43 > 0:39:45in Wimbledon.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49The first one was fine, you lose against the number one,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52three-time champion.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55But the second one, I arrived there with different expectations.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59When I have the trophy, everything on court,
0:39:59 > 0:40:05I am fine there, but when I go to the locker room it was tough for me.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09I lost the second final, I lost with good chances to win.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13For me it is a dream to win Wimbledon and it was a tough moment.
0:40:13 > 0:40:19All the time, maybe the last years when I was crying a little bit.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21Quite a lot, in fact.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26You were desperately unhappy, for some 20, 25 minutes.
0:40:26 > 0:40:27Was it the worst moment in your career?
0:40:27 > 0:40:31- No.- No?- No, because I play the final of Wimbledon.- Oh, OK.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Yeah, rub it in, Rob, why don't you?
0:40:36 > 0:40:39But Rafa's revenge came in 2008.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42The longest, and for many the best Wimbledon final ever,
0:40:42 > 0:40:47which saw the Majorcan end Federer's runs of five consecutive titles in a
0:40:47 > 0:40:49whopping four hours and 48 minutes.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57Let's finish with the final member of the tennis triumvirate,
0:40:57 > 0:41:01Novak Djokovic, speaking here before the 2014 Wimbledon final
0:41:01 > 0:41:03against Roger Federer.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27It's a final step at the biggest event
0:41:27 > 0:41:30and there's a lot on the line and you're reaching the climax
0:41:30 > 0:41:35of course, the emotions and the expectations and excitement
0:41:35 > 0:41:39and all these different emotions go through your mind.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44And it's important to try to handle that in the best possible way,
0:41:44 > 0:41:47cope with it and stay composed and in control.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52And I think whoever manages to do that will get a win.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59I think we've just seen one of the greatest returns of all time.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03When did you first see Wimbledon? When were you first aware of it?
0:42:03 > 0:42:07- What age? - I think I was five years old.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12I watched Pete Sampras win his first or second Wimbledon trophy
0:42:12 > 0:42:16and it's an imagine stuck in my mind since early childhood days
0:42:16 > 0:42:20and this tournament has a very special place in my heart.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24There is a new champion at Wimbledon - Novak Djokovic.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29What does it take to beat Roger Federer on a grass court?
0:42:29 > 0:42:32It takes one man to have a very good day,
0:42:32 > 0:42:37game-wise and mentally to be very solid, very strong throughout
0:42:37 > 0:42:40the whole match and I just believe that you can win.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42That's easier said than done.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Obviously we all know how good Roger's record is on grass.
0:42:46 > 0:42:47On the other hand,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50this is my third Wimbledon final and I look forward to it.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54It's a great challenge playing somebody like Roger
0:42:54 > 0:42:58in the finals and I couldn't ask for a bigger challenge at this moment.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Oh, yes. Match point, Djokovic.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05That is frightening. Top seed here and playing like it.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13You are the top seed here.
0:43:13 > 0:43:14You've won six Grand Slams
0:43:14 > 0:43:18and yet there are some people that would say you have something
0:43:18 > 0:43:21to prove because of the recent record in Grand Slam finals.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24I mean, do you feel any of that pressure?
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Well, pressure is always present
0:43:26 > 0:43:29and I've had so far a very successful career
0:43:29 > 0:43:34and of course I'm content with everything I've achieved,
0:43:34 > 0:43:39but I still feel there are years to come in front of me.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42But right now I have to think about the present moment and enjoy this
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Grand Slam final and try to get a trophy.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Novak did get the trophy on that occasion,
0:43:50 > 0:43:52and he may well get a few more
0:43:52 > 0:43:56unless the last person to beat him at Wimbledon gets in his way again.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Andy Murray -
0:43:58 > 0:44:01whose many final head-to-heads with Djokovic make theirs
0:44:01 > 0:44:05the latest big tennis rivalry - will be desperate to stop the Serb.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07And if he beats him at Wimbledon,
0:44:07 > 0:44:09Murray will be writing another chapter
0:44:09 > 0:44:11in the book of epic rivalries.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Which is great news for tennis fans everywhere, whoever they support
0:44:14 > 0:44:18because for us these rivalries, the stuff of legend,
0:44:18 > 0:44:21have always been tennis matches made in heaven.