9/19/03
Jennifer wrote:

• I came upon an interesting article in the London Sunday Times (Sept. 14, 2003) in which our Stefan was named as one of the top 10 sexiest sportsmen of all time. I don't know why Boris is ranked higher.
  Enjoy!
  The top 10 sexiest sportsmen of all time; Diary. (Sport) 2003 Sunday Times
  Byline: Tiffanie Darke
  1 Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins Ah yes, you had forgotten he could be this sexy, hadn't you? All you remember are the fags, the booze, the trembling palms and threatening tantrums as he twitched over the table and wielded his cue like a madman on the loose. But a man who could be gripped by so many passions is a dangerous man - a naughty man - a man who could, well, show a girl the time of her life. And look at him - he cares what he looks like, he has some serious style (well, at least he used to have some serious style). And there was the human side, too, as demonstrated when he broke down in tears after winning the world title in 1982. Not to mention the rather promising bulge on the front of his cute, flat-fronted trousers.
  2 Boris Becker
  We started off hating him: all that ginger attitude, winning Wimbledon as a 17-year-old, and German to boot. But he won us over in the end with his staying power and his incredible serve, his energy and his uncontrollable libido. He grew up and his looks eventually matured. His ginger hair became strawberry blond - and his fabulous-looking wife made us realise that the man had taste. And then, of course, he had to go and spoil it all with the Nobu Broom Cupboard Incident. Say no more.
  3 Thierry Henry
  'Who has va va voom? Does she have va va voom?' No - but France and Arsenal striker Henry most certainly does, and by the bucketload. Football has more than its fair share of good-looking sportsmen, but even with all their cash and showbiz appeal, most are a bit of a turn-off (aren't they just so in love with themselves?). There is something rather classy about this smouldering Frenchman, though. And there is also something rather naughty about that unbelievable French accent.
  4 Ayrton Senna
  He was the 1980s post-mod king, caught up in a whirlwind of Brazilian glamour, and the va va voom of the Formula One circuit. There was something 'old world classic' about Senna that only a man who has been cut off in his prime can lay claim to.
  Like James Dean, we so wished we had been there with him, back then, in that time.
  And that he was still with us, able to have chosen his moment to walk away.
  5 Stefan Edberg's legs
  I know, he's Swedish and undoubtedly rather boringly blond, and not exactly Mister Personality on the court. But at least he was one of the good guys of tennis - he's had lots of kind things to say about Tim Henman, he won Wimbledon and he banked millions. Oh yes, and then there were his legs ...
  6 George Best
  Not now - then. Nobody could rival the Northern Irishman's looks and nobody could rival him on the field. The way the Manchester United player danced around that football, managing to be something of a ballerina and an athlete at the same time, was glorious to behold. The string of beautiful women help: they know something we can only guess at. And the fact that they still keep on coming means there's probably as much for us to know about off the field as on.
  7 Jonny Wilkinson
  Ah, Jonny. A newcomer to the wider field of sexy sport recognition, but after the forthcoming Rugby World Cup in Australia he is likely to be adorning every teenage girl's bedroom wall. His superbly chiselled features have become much more defined over the past year, his authority on the field is more commanding, and the slight vulnerability behind the blue eyes is so, so endearing. In fact, with his current value and his forthcoming run at superstardom, the young fly-half very nearly made it to the top of the list.
  8 Roman Abramovich
  Okay, okay, so we are all agreed that he is not conventionally good-looking or athletic, but, girls (whisper it): the money. It has to be true that real sexiness does not come from appearance, it comes from within, and the carefree abandon with which Chelsea owner Abramovich wields his millions is undoubtedly a very, very sexy thing indeed. He spends as if there were no tomorrow. Another fur, did you say? Yes, Roman, diamonds are most definitely a girl's best friends.
  9 Linford Christie
  The lunchbox thing has been said and done to death, but let's face it, that was never what was sexy about Christie. Watching this man run flat out over 100m was like watching a gazelle that had been given an injection of speed - all rippling sinews, perfectly balanced motion and taut, taut chocolate flesh. Then he opened his mouth, and he was the most charming, take-home-to-your-mother man a girl could wish for. Until the subject of the media and its treatment of him was brought up. Don't we all just miss him?
  10 The Rock
  Well, if you like this kind of thing. It was his starring role as the Scorpion King in the movie The Mummy Returns that really brought this World Wrestling Federation star to our attention - all that ridiculous posturing in the wrestling ring can put a girl right off her tea - among other things - but adorned in all that gold and swathed in those leather bits, he was suddenly transformed into something of a fantasy. And despite his ridiculous body, there is that lovely Hawaiian facial structure. So... exotic.
  And why not Becks?
  David Beckham is not on the list - and for a very good reason. He's a nice guy, he has poster-boy looks, he's a happily married family man, and he moves like a god on the pitch, but he's just not fanciable. And that voice. There's no X factor: all that fuss about Brylcreem and sunglasses and clothes makes him a little bit too metrosexual to be sexy - just the wrong side of the gaydar. He's clearly a lovely, dedicated husband, but you definitely wouldn't want to have an affair with him. A hair consultation, maybe, but not an affair.
  Not to be taken seriously, but it's good that Stefan was remembered, albeitly not entirely kindly.

• And more thanks to Jennifer for sending in links to a couple of Tennis Week Online articles in which Stefan was mentioned: here, and here

• This Wednesday 9/10 noon the Tennis Channel will be showing "Davis Cup Classic, Ep. 13 1989 Becker vs. Edberg". Not one of Stefan's victories, unfortunately.
• Surfing the web for Edberg news, I came upon an article (not about Edberg) ending with this line: "Jan Perry is a Kentucky-based freelance writer for The Post and a long-time tennis follower and Stefan Edberg fan. Write to her at SiteSeer2K@aol.com."
  What do you know? A columnist for a major U.S. paper (The Cincinnati Post) who has the good taste to proclaim to be an Edberg fan! Needless to say I immediately wrote her and email.
• From the Tennis Warehouse Pro Player Talk board, in response to my posting about the "Edberg fantasy camp" this Demember in Scottsdale, Arizona:
  Edberg is also slated to make an appearance at the courts of a local country club just outside of Scottsdale. (I play in a league held at the club, and overheard the head pro talking about Edberg's upcoming visit.)
• I stumbled onto this Swedish page that appears to be about the Swedish Tennis Museum. There are many photos, two of them showing Edberg, including the one shown to the right, of Stefan with Illie Nasty Nastase - how do you like that green shirt on Stefan?

When I was at the US Open last week, I picked up a magazine called, "Inside Tennis." Apparently Stefan is heading your way in early December. He's going to California for an ultimate weekend package with Stefan Edberg.

A weekend of clinics, exhibitions, and one-on-ones with Stefan Edberg, winner of eight Grand Slam titles, and WTA star Meghann Shaughnessy with a guest appearance by former world No. 1 Martina Hingis.

9/4/03

• From the International Tennis Hall of Fame:
  INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2004 BALLOT
  NEWPORT, RI - Tony Trabert, Chairman of the Enshrinee Nominating Committee and President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, today announced that Sweden's Stefan Edberg, Germany's Steffi Graf and the USA's Dorothy "Dodo" Cheney have been named to the 2004 Hall of Fame Induction Ballot.
  Recent Player Nominee (2)
  Stefan Edberg
  Edberg, 37, is a former World No. 1 ranked player, having removed Ivan Lendl from the top spot on August 13, 1990. During his career he spent a total of 72 (non-consecutive) weeks at No. 1, and finished the 1990 and 1991 seasons as the No. 1 player in the world. Edberg was ranked in the year-end Top 10 for ten straight years (1985-1994) finishing in the Top 5 from 1985-93. He received ATP Player of the Year honors in 1991, and again in 1992. Edberg is a 5-time recipient of the ATP's Sportsmanship Award (1988-90, '92, '95), more than any player in ATP history. In 1996, the ATP again honored Edberg, this time by renaming this award the Edberg Sportsmanship Award.
  Sweden has won the Davis Cup seven times, and Edberg played on four of the 7 winning Cup teams (1984, '85, '87, '94). He is tied with countryman Ove Bengtson for most years played on the Swedish Davis Cup team with 13, playing from 1984 through 1996. Edberg also holds Sweden's record for most Davis Cup final appearances, playing in seven. He finished his Davis Cup career playing in 35 ties with an overall total win-loss record of 47-23 (35-15 in singles and 12-8 in doubles). Edberg also participated in the 1984 Olympics (tennis was a demonstration sport), where he was the Singles Gold Medal winner. In 1988, he won Bronze in both singles and doubles competition in Seoul.
  Note: Although I still hold a grudge against the Hall of Fame, I did send a note to them to let them know that Edberg fans will be pleased that Stefan finally received the nomination that he so deserved. I urge you to write to them to acknowledge the nomination, if only to show that there are Edberg fans out there.
  Call me overly sensitive, but some of the articles already make Graf's nomination overshadow Edberg's, to wit - this is how the announcement was written up at a Fox Sports site:
  From correspondents in New York September 4, 2003 STEFFI GRAF, the 22-time Grand Slam singles winner married to top-ranked Andre Agassi, joined Sweden's Stefan Edberg as nominees for induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame today. ...
  Not only does it left out Edberg in the headline, but it emphasizes Graf as the wife of a certain media darling who undoubtedly will be in the spotlight at the induction ceremony, should it come to pass.
• Jo of New Zealand wrote:
  Boy do some Stefan fans not appreciate Pete Sampras. I have followed both of their careers and have the utmost respect and admiration for both players. Of course Stefan was the most agile and his artistry is unique (even J McEnroe doesn't have the style and finesse of Stefan. Far to fidgety and argumentative to compare. His shots didn't flow). Stefan and Pete of course have been friends, even playing doubles together early in Pete's career and practicing with each other. Perhaps Pete should have won the '92 USO? Fate is a fickle thing. Stefan was playing extremely well, having come through a series of tough matches going into the final.
  To me Sampras took over Stefan's mantle (again the finesse wasn't as good, he had the last great volley action in the mens game!), for sportsmanship and his nature and interest in the history of the game. Sampras has numbers to burn and you cannot deny his technical perfection. The fluidity of his serve and his many strong shots are to be admired. So please don't trash Pete, his is the Greatest. If only Stefan could have some of his stats!!! Then no one would forget him (his loyal fans aside of course!).
  Of the current crop I have great hopes for Roger Federer to follow Stefan and Pete's lead and be a gentleman and and champion.

• A big thanks to Rachelle, who clued me in on a web site that I should have already visited, but never got around to. It is asapsports.com site, which has -- bless their hearts -- transcripts of post-match interviews from 1992 on. If you have not visited this site, watch out! This is a time sink. Make sure that you have lots of time on hand before you try :-) But check out these ones, for starter:
  • Edberg interview after his 1992 USO SF win over Chang
  • Pete Sampras interview after his 1992 USO final defeat
  • Edberg interview after his final victory at the 1992 USO
  • Chang interview after his 1992 USO semi defeat
  • Stefan's interview after his win over Ivan Lendl, same year.
  • Stefan's interview after his 4th round victory over Krajicek.
• And Rachelle also wrote: I agree with you about Sampras. I respect his career and what he achieved on the court. He is the best player of all time, from a winning standpoint, from all the grand slam titles and years at number 1. But he never stirred my passions, watching him I admit. I think this is why Sampras did not get huge amounts of media attention. There is a 'coldness' to him. His game perhaps looked too easy and he dominated too much too easily for far too long. He never had the up and down kinds of matches that Stefan did, so it makes it hard to relate to him - no vulnerability there. This doesn't make him a bad person, just not my cup of tea because he doesn't seem very 'accessible' or 'real'.
• Wayne Ferreira is intent on breaking Edberg's record of 52 consecutive grand-slam participation. I understand that he will do so after next year's Australian Open. Ah well, he hasn't won any grand slam, so if Wayne wants this record -- to the point of being carried off court on a stretcher at Wimbledon, as I understand it, then he can have it :-)

9/2/03
E.G. wrote:

It warmed my heart that somebody else recognizes the difference between Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras. For me you got it right on the dot when you spoke about Sampras' attitude. To me he always came up with a good reason for losing, never because his opponent was better. In his mind it was always because either he was sick or injured or sick and injured or something else. I have also watched the 1992 U.S. Open final several times and have noticed how insulted Sampras seemed to be for having lost it. Sampras publicly stated after the loss that he should not have lost that match and made Edberg seem like a journeyman player that should not have won.
Like you I also prefer Edberg's game to Sampras'. And Edberg has a presence whereas Sampras always reminded me of a goon. Of course Sampras MAY very well be the best tennis player ever but he leaves me cold. Sampras reaped what he sowed.
I find it hard to believe when I read tennis publications how people can lump the 2 players together. For me web sites like yours and Mauro's really do justice to Stefan. I never read more perceptive writing about an athlete I like than in your websites. I agree that Stefan is special. I don't see such sensitively designed web sites for other athletes or movie stars. I have seen some for certain artists that have touched people's souls. Stefan wasn't the best or most succesful tennis player ever but in his quiet way he has soul and that is what people love about him.
Also I will respond to Mauro. Ulf Nilsson was 1 of the first Swedish hockey players to play in the National Hockey League. He played for the New York Rangers.

It's good to know that the thoughts of another Edberg fan on this matter echo mine.
To be perfectly honest, one of the reasons that I turned away from pro-tennis, besides Edberg's retirement, was the depressing prospect (which did come true) that Sampras was destined to dominate men's tennis for a long time. I like people with talents, but not one that's so full of himself. Even Becker - who is also self-absorbing - has a certain degree of humility about him to the point that he can kid about himself. Sampras is dead serious and completely engrossed in his own greatness, as far as I can tell.
At the end of the 1992 USO final, Pete acted like he could barely bring himself to shake hands with Edberg - the disdain was palpable. I felt bad for Stefan whenever I saw that footage again.
It really makes me cringe whenever I see Sampras mentioned along with Edberg as the best ever volleyers, or as a class act. Mai non! In particular, Sampras never received the approval of his peers to the extent of Stefan - in fact, my impression is that he is not exactly well liked among other players, which figures for someone so self-centered.
Only time will tell, but my view (admittedly biased) is that Sampras will actually not be missed as much as Stefan was and still is. Edberg has a distinctive style - people in the know immediately think of his breathtaking volleys and poetic backhand as soon as his name is mentioned (I would add his fluidity on court, especially in his prime.) Sampras brings to mind mechanical perfection. Sampras will be remembered for his numbers; Edberg for his style, for his quiet poise, and, yes, his attractive appearance.
I agree that Edberg has soul. Not everybody gets that, which is one reason why I appreciate people who are Edberg fans. Stefan symbolizes an understated strength beyond machismo and glibness. To me, he's a fuller person than most of the other tennis superstars.

9/1/03

• Mark wrote from England:
  (T)his months 'ace' magazine (published in the UK and sent out to members of the Lawn Tennis Association) has a couple of pages in the coaching section devoted to Stefan explaining how to hit volleys as he does. There are several pics as well as an intro page explaining what he's up to now.
  (Thank you very much for the info, Mark. It's good to know that Stefan is still getting some print.)
• A word on the retirement of Pete Sampras:
  I am admittedly biased, but it seems to me that the retirement of Sampras, who is considered by some as the greatest tennis player ever, was met with lukewarm reaction by the world. Perhaps his retirement had been such a long time coming that everybody had already said his/her piece about Sampras, but at least to me I didn't read the kind of heartfelt articles that were written for Edberg when Stefan stepped off the stage (see my collection of Edberg articles). I know this will offend some who are Sampras fans, but these are my thoughts.
  While Sampras is technical perfection in tennis, he -- to me at least -- has an off-putting demeanor about him. Sampras has that self-engrossing air about him, broadcasting an attitude that clearly says, to me at least, that "I am the best and nobody else matters." I think the thought came to me at the 1992 US Open final, the year that Edberg successfully defended his title. Although in retrospect it is clear to even me that Stefan was aided considerably by Lady Luck that year, it didn't escape me that the demeanor of Sampras at the end of the match was that of complete dejection, not just for losing, but clearly because he thought he's the one who should have won. I have watched this tape numerous times, and I think I am right in my observation.
  Sampras is considered a Serve and Volleyer, but to me he's an all-courter. Yes, he had excellent net skills, but his style was far removed from that of Edberg's, lacking the fluidity of Stefan. Whereas Stefan was an artist on court, as many tennis writers have observed, Sampras was the consumate engineer. Stefan's game has a spontaneity that also made him vulnerable; Sampras' was solid steel, untouchable - I especially detested his huge serves.
  That said, I do know that Stefan Edberg has always had high regards for Pete Sampras. Asked to comment on Stefan's retirement, Sampras acknowledged that Edberg was very nice to him when he first started on tour. When he was still playing for the ATP, Stefan always put in extra efforts when he played Pete. In 2002, when I saw Edberg at a charity event in New England, Stefan put up the bids, twice, for a racket of Sampras'.
  In the arena of tennis, my heart goes to the artist.
• From an US Open promotional article on this year's Wimbledon champ, Roger Federer:
  He likes the tradition, the grass surface, the fact that the three players he grew up idolising - Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Sampras - had their greatest successes at the All England Club.

8/29/03

• Mauro of the fantastic STE Fan site (do check out the current cover photo, a great shot of Edberg as he appeared at the 1990 Wimbledon) sent in this charming note:
  the reporter you're talking about in your last post on your site is Rino Tommasi, one of the most renowned tennis journalists in the world, fortunately an Italian guy (for once...). He launched a bet after seeing Stefan lose to Sundstrom in 1983 Wimbledon 2nd round (not the junior event, but the professional one, for which Stefan had received a wild card). Stefan lost 8-6 in the fifth set and Tommasi bet Stefan should win Wimbledon in five years, else he would quit writing about tennis. During the press conference after Stefan's win in 1988, exactly five years after Tommasi's prediction, the reporter reminded Edberg of that bet he had done and Stefan replied:"I saved your job, but... thanks for the confidence".
• I've got to share this charming passage from a 1988 World Tennis Magazine article "The Coolest Champion" by Kim Cunningham:
  Has success spoiled Stefan Edberg? Hardly. The $4-million-a-year man (his estimated 1987 earnings) eschewed offers of both the Wimbledon courtesy car and a new BMW sedan to drive his own car to the All England Club this year, explaining, "It already had a parking sticker on it." Then, on the hottest day in August, the Wimbledon champion found his way to Baton Rouge, Lousiana, to play a two-man exhibition to benefit the Louisiana Junior Tennis Program for underpriviledged children. To get there, Edberg flew from Stockholm, with stops in New York, Washington and Nashville. Edberg committed himself to the event last April, but never considered, post-Wimbledon, canceling the small obligation.
  "I'd never heard of Baton Rouge before," Edberg told a companion at 9:30 that morning, describing how Joe Jones, the LJTP president, had pursued him the previous year. "I feel it's good to do some thing for charity. And there's no pressure. It's a small part of the world. It doesn't really matter how well I play down there because they won't know."
  They all knew of his arrival at precisely 11:24 A.M. Edberg was met at Ryan Airport in Baton Rouge by an entourage rivaling those of Sinatra or Ali arriving at a Las Vegas main event. TV crews jostled for breathing room alongside radio and newspaper reporters, representatives from the LJTP, and the event's sponsors. Declared Karl Alexander of Causeway Chrysler, who drove Edberg in a customized van, "Lee Iacocca would have been here if he knew Stefan was coming." Six armed and dangerous-looking security guards were dispatched from the mayor's office to guard the 22-year-old celebrity. "I've seen presidential candidates, country western singers and pop rock starts," said head of security Gary Taylor, surveying the chaotic scene. "But in seven years, I've never seen anything like this."
  Edberg seems unaware that he was the focus of all the commotion. When the baggage carousel turned and he spotted his New York Rangers' bag (a gift from Uif Nilsson), he turned to a companion and asked distractedly, "Can you keep an eye on my rackets while I pick up my bags?"
  (Note: for those unfamiliar with the U.S.: Baton Rouge is a city in Lousiana, a southern state famous for cajon food and music, and for the Mardi Gras festival held in the city of New Orleans. It is considered a relatively tough area and a very unlikely place for any tennis star to visit - I doublt if Pete Sampras or Andrei Agassi has ever done the same. The New York Rangers is a hockey team. Now, who is Uif Nilsson? A search on Google yielded quite a few finds - I suspect that the one mentioned in the article was/is a politician in Sweden - or could he be a player for the Rangers at the time?) )

"Edberg climbed out of a hole that was so deep he could sell it to an oil prospecting company, coming within one ball of losing the match. But he won it and reached his first Wimbledon final, facing Boris Becker, the Wimbledon champion in 1985 and 1986.
The friendship between these two had recently died on the grass of the Queens tournament, where Becker, whose grip on his racket is clearly tighter than that on his tongue, called Edberg 'Chicken' for failing to have what it takes to win the decisive balls. Becker would have ample reason to regret his remark two weeks later.
Becker wasn't the only one who later had to eat his words. John McEnroe also spoke hasitly the week before Wimbledon. 'It's a joke that that guy [Edberg] is ranked third in the world.'
... Edberg thought it was particularly satisying to beat Becker in the Wimbledon final. 'There's no use pretending otherwise. It really felt good to win over Becker.'
Their friendship began in a gymnasium in the little German town of Rosenhelm. Stefan didn't have anywhere to stay and was lying on an air mattress in a locker room when a pale, redheaded boy asked: 'Do you need help with anything?'

8/23/03
No news, but more on books:

• I have an extra copy of the book The Davis Cup: Celebrating 100 Years of International Tennis by Richard Evans, John McEnroe. I will mail it to an Edberg fan who wants it, at postage cost ($5 within U.S.). Write to me if you are interested.
• In an earlier post I recommended a 1996 book called "Top Spin" by Eliot Berry. This is the book that features a photo of Edberg on the dust jacket, and has paragraphs on Stefan at the end of his career.
  But the book that has a whole chapter on Edberg is actually another one by the same author, Tough Draw. This is an earlier book about professional tennis in the years of 1990-1991, when Stefan was at the height of his career. It is available at amazon.com at a pittance.

  I apologize for the misinformation in my earlier post.

Asked to select the highlight of their partnership, Pickard did not recount a triumph at Wimbledon or in New York or Melbourne.
"I think 10 August, 1990 was the most fabulous evening," he said. "That evening, Stefan beat [Michael] Chang in the quarters in Cincinnati, and when he came off the court, we sat in the locker-room, and he asked me why I was smiling so much. And I said,
`Well, tonight young man, you've just become the No 1 ranked player in the world'.
"That was a very special moment. It doesn't happen to a lot of people, does it? It's something you dream about. You can have all your football managers. You can have all your team events. I helped and coached somebody to become the best player in theworld, and I consider that I was very fortunate to be a part of it."
JOHN ROBERTS, Edberg in split with Pickard. , Independent, 12-21-1994,

8/14/03
More interesting tidbits from the articles that I unearthed from the eLibrary:

• Anatoly Karpov, the Soviet who held the world chess title from 1975 to 1985, was(is?) an admirer of Edberg.
• While staying in a condo in Long Island in 1993, "(Edberg) has been mobbed in local supermarkets." (Can you just imagine running into Stefan in your local supermart?)
• When he was 17, Stefan "advanced to the semi-finals of the State Express Tennis Classic at Bournemouth with a victory" and "was summoned to the media interview room." "'I had one good racket, a Wilson Javelin,' Edberg recalled. 'It was my favourite racket, and I made the mistake of putting it next to the heater. It just got so hot that it melted. I still had rackets, but not as good as that one. Next day I lost easily to Jose Higueras, 6-1, 6-1.'"
• In an article written about Edberg and Tony Pickard parting their ways in 1994, Tony reportedly said: "A lot of young men with the talent Stefan had would be pretty arrogant, but he was a pretty insecure young man really. I could see what the problem was and never left it alone." Tony worked on Stefan's mentality by stressing positive thinking. The article went on to say "According to Pickard, the breakthrough came in 1988. 'Although Stefan had already won two Australian Opens, I think he really realised that the negatives had gone when Sweden played Czechoslovakia in the Davis Cup, and was 4-1 down to Miloslav Mecir in the fifth set and came back and won it. For me, that was when he realized, because I can remember him saying to me, 'That was positive, Pickard, wasn't it?'"

8/13/03
Among the interesting articles from the eLibrary (see yesterday's entry, below), I found one that was published in the Newsday (a New-York area newspaper, I believe) about this time back in 1993. Did you know that:

• Edberg owned a four-bedroom condominium in Long Island, provided by the Hamlet Cup organizers? (Stefan was the "resident pro" at that country club for a few years.)
• Stefan first met Annette at a New Year's Eve party when he was 20, reported the writer (a she who described Stefan as "the strikingly handsome blond Swede.") As you may know, Annette was the companion of Mats Wilander before she teamed with Stefan. One can imagine that it was at this New Year's Eve party that the sparks flew between Annette and Stefan, perhaps unbeknown to Mats - I am letting my imagination run wild :-)
• Annette is 2 years older than Stefan, according to the writer, who described Annette as Stefan's "29-year-old wife." At the time of the writing, Stefan was 27 year old.

8/12/03
These are quiet days of summer, with Europe reportedly in the grip of a killer heat wave.
If you need something to read, may I suggest visiting the eLibrary. If you search "Stefan Edberg" you will come upon over a hundred links. You do have to subscribe to read them, but there is a 7-day free trial period during which you can take your time to read the articles. Do be sure to cancel rightaway so you don't get charged .
Among the articles I found was a 1991 article from Sports Illustrated, an article "Edberg in split with Pickard" about Stefan parting his way with Tony Pickard, several articles written the year that Stefan retired, and an amusing article entitled "The Social Construction of Gender Difference and Hierarchy in Sport Jounalism" in which Stefan (along with Steffi Graf, Boris Becker, etc.) is mentioned often.

8/8/03
Mauro of the wonderful site STE Fans sent in this note:

Many years ago I heard the story that Edberg caused the death of a linesman with a first serve in his early career. I didn't go deeper until, a month and a half ago, a visitor to my site asked me for details on the same story. I then decided to e-mail the question to "Il Tennis Italiano", Italian main tennis magazine and that's what they replied in the issue of August:
"The incredible story of the linesman is, unfortunately, absolutely true. In 1983, Stefan Edberg took part in the junior US Open, a tournament that he eventually won to complete his junior Grand Slam. On September 10th, his semifinal against Patrick McEnroe was scheduled. With a first serve Edberg hit the middle linesman, Richard Wertheim, 61, who lost his balance in order to try to avoid the ball and hit his head on the hardcourt. Our reporter, back then, was right on that court and immortalized the episode in all its dramacity. The linesman was immediately carried to the hospital and the Edberg's match was not suspended. After a ten day coma, Wertheim passed away. Not the blow from the ball, but the cranial trauma following his bad fall was blamed for his death. Stefan Edberg said he really thought of quitting playing tennis then, due to the feeling of guilt."

8/3/03

Speaking of books - I have been watching a lot of tapes of Davis-cup matches and so decided to order a used copy of Richard Evan's Davis Cup book ( The Davis Cup: Celebrating 100 Years of International Tennis by Richard Evans, John McEnroe). This is the book that has a Stefan photo on its cover (among other photos).
The book took its time to arrive. But instead of the Richard Evans book, the seller sent me another book that happens to be the ITF's year book of Davis Cup 1996. This is the year of Stefan's retirement and the year that Sweden played France in the Davis-Cup final in Mamot, Sweden. I didn't even notice the mistake at first, because the book is of the same size (coffee-table book) and Stefan is on the cover.
My initial disappointment soon turned into amazement as I flipped through the pages of this unexpected book, a book that I didn't even know existed. 1996 being the year of Edberg's retirement, the writer/ITF apparently paid special tribute to Stefan. The cover is a photo of that famous scene when a jubilant Yannick Noah gamely carried Stefan on his shoulders at the moment of France's victory. There is a foreword by Stefan (I think he signed it, but I doubt that lines like "long may it flourish" is in Stefan's own voice). And the book has no less than 10 full-page photos of Edberg, mostly from that final but including a pic of a 1985 Stefan leaping over the net after defeating Michael Westphal in the final against West Germany (with Boris Becker.) Also, I didn't know or may have forgotten but found out from the book that Stefan was injured in the first singles match against Cedric Pioline, a large factor that Sweden was upset by France that year.
Needless to say I am keeping the book, which I got at a bargain price. Now what are the odds that when this particular vendor sent me a wrong book they sent me this particular one? I have to call that a miracle.
I will try to scan in some of the photos to share.

I want to give a plug to an old (probably out-of-print) book called "Top Spin"(see right) by Eliot Berry, published back in 1996. Copies of this book are now available at Amazon.com at a ridiculously small amount. The book is flawed in technical details, but I believe the author was a fan of Stefan's - (he even went to Sweden to visit Stefan's home town.) Reading it again, I realize that Eliot was paying tribute to Stefan, and, without saying so overtly, lamenting the inevitable decline of Stefan's game. Here's an excerpt from it:
I want to ask you about Stefan Edberg." I said to Roy Emerson ...
"He was great," said Emerson. "Terrific. He did great things. Whenever he played a tournament, he always gave more than 100 percent. He had an attractive game to watch, and his court manner was impeccable."
The words we choose often reflect our own nature as much as the thing we are describing. The great Australian had described himself as well as the Swede whose game I found more magical to watch than either Borg's or Wilander's. "Do you rate Edberg up with yourself and the others in the top ten or fifteen of all time?"
"Yeah," said Emerson, "Stefan's right up there."
"Do you think he has reached that point in his career when he can't do quite the same things anymore?"
"Yeah, well, Stefan relies a lot on his moving and court coverage, and he must be slowing down a little in that department," said Emerson.

The writer devoted many paragraphs and a whole chapter to Stefan - very uncommon for an American book.
I came upon this book when it first came out in 1996 (the year of Stefan's retirement!) and could not believe my good fortune. However, the book did not sell well and was soon forgotten. At the time, I was too grief-striken with Stefan's retirement to enjoy it, but reading it again, I have come to appreciate the sentiments of the author.
I highly recommend it, especially at the small cost it now takes to acquire a copy. By the way, Stefan's photo is on the book's jacket, so be sure to purchase one that comes with the jacket. However, be forewarned that the book doesn't come with any other photos, so if photos are what you want, you may be disappointed.

• I think I have seen this site before, but had fun revisiting it: GENTLEMAN STEFAN EDBERG.
  It's a French Edberg fan site, with English translation available. Most impressive is a collection of clips (video, mpeg) of Stefan's play - backhand, volley, lob, etc. There's also a gallery of photos, featuring a lot of familiar photos, plus a handful of special ones, such as this captivating portrait to the right. You have to go to the French side to see the photos.
  Check it out!
• From this week's Jon Wertheim Mailbag:
  As you know, Boris Becker recently was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Though I think he is a deserving candidate, many tennis pundits seem to talk about Becker as if he is in the same league as Rod Laver, Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg. I disagree because of Becker's futility on clay (he never won a title on the soft stuff). Where do you think Becker stands with respect to his contemporaries (Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi and Sampras)? Where would you rank him on the list of all-time greats? —Josh Silverman, Blacksburg, Va.
  We must be hanging out in different circles. I've never heard Becker's name mentioned in the same breath as Laver, Sampras and Borg. In fact, I'd submit that conventional wisdom is that -- in part because of his failings on clay; in part because of an inferior Grand Slam record -- Becker is considered by many to be a tier down from the Lendl/Wilander/Edberg/McEnroe/Agassi cluster. (OK, probably a half-tier, not unlike the floor in Being John Malkovich.)
  With that as our vantage point, I would go so far as to say that Becker may have had an underrated career. Becker's raw numbers: six Slams, 10 Slam-final appearances, achieved the top ranking, winner of 49 career singles titles and, to our mild surprise, 15 doubles titles. Other factors: He never won the French (minus), though he did reach the semis three times, which is twice more than a certain curly-haired Californian. His Slam titles span more than a decade (plus). He was self-possessed and a sterling ambassador for the sport -- at least until he retired (plus). Inasmuch as you believe Wimbledon is the sport's crucible, he won there three times and reached seven finals (plus).
  Where does he rank on the list of all-timers? Limiting ourselves to the past quarter-century, he is unquestionably beneath Sampras (14 Slams is dispositive), Borg (who even won more Wimbledons than Becker), Agassi (career Slam, still going strong at 33), Connors (more Slams; more than twice as many singles titles), Lendl (more of everything) and McEnroe (only one more Slam, but Mac's 77 doubles titles help the cause). But we'd be inclined to say that Becker stacks up awfully favorably against Edberg (equal number of Slams, but Becker won slightly more titles and had a longer career) and even Wilander (one fewer Slam than the Swede but 50 percent more titles, a far longer tenure as a top player, and three times more in career earnings). Speaking of Becker ...

Stefan, 1994 (left, photo from Karen's collection) and 2003 (right, photo from Mark at the Queen's exhibition.)

And check out a thread on the TennisWarehouse board, titled "Why is Edberg considered the best S&V?"
Edberg is frequently mentioned in the Pro-Player Talk section of this board, and the discussion is usually quite good, including this one. Here are sample posts in this thread:

• I'm not sure I understand the hoopla over Edberg's favored status as best S&V artist. Mac had the most natural talent at this kind of game, and he won more majors. Maybe I missed something given Edberg's low-key profile while an active player.
• You just had to see him to appreciate the talent of a stefan edberg. He was (is) the best mover I ever saw. I would say that he was probably the fastest player from the baseline to the net. He almost always hit his first volley inside the service box. He had a pretty jacked up forhand, but a classic one hander. Just fantastic to watch.
• I think edberg's low-key profile during his career is a plus. The fact that people would point to him as the greatest serve and volleyer, even though he made not much a splash publicity wise, means all they're looking at is the tennis skills. It's the same way with sampras.
• I have to agree with Don and Hawaii. Mac had great hands but Edberg had great natural skill at the net. Edberg would try to come in on every shot and even on your second serve! He was just smooth and fluid... Like Hawaii said, he is definatly in the top three of all time! And that starts a whole new debate...
• I admired Edbergs speed off the serve. He was soo smooth and just seemed to accelerate like a sprinter from the starting blocks. Mac did not have the speed or grace but had the best touch & angle volleys.
• Edberg and Mac played each other in the 1989 Wimbledon semis. A great match to see the differences and the similarities (Mac's forehand wasn't all that great either, right?), although Mac was then past his prime and Edberg had not yet fully reached his.
  In my opinion, Edberg was the better S&V player, but perhaps not the better overall player. Edberg was unique in the sense that his entire game was designed exclusively around the concept of getting to the net as quickly as possible. His service motion, and the high kick, were specifically desinged to get far into the court before hitting the volley, not for producing service winners. Edberg was (is) the only player who consistently hit his first volley from inside the service line, even against great returners like Agassi and Courier.
• Mac is the greatest natural s&v player ever. He did things that were amazing but he had incredible talent and skill.
  Edberg is the greatest technical s&v player ever. His technique on the volleys was perfection.
  If I were teaching a kid how to serve and volley, I would show him or her (like any chicks go to the net anymore) a tape of Edberg and say 'this is how it's done'.
• Whether one discusses if a player is a good serv & volleyer or a bad one, Edberg seems always to be the natural point of reference.
• Er, I have the 1980 & 1981 McEnroe/Borg Wimbledon finals on tape. I also have many Edberg matches, including his Wimbledon and grass Australian Open triumphs. In my book, Edberg was way more athletic than McEnroe. He also didn't hit as many touch volleys as McEnroe, not because he couldn't, but because the game had changed by then. The players Edberg played could run down many of Mac's drop volleys.
  I honestly don't get the veneration McEnroe gets. He's easily an underachiever when you look at his slam title totals if he is as talented and great as many proclaim. For certain, he didn't work as hard at his game as Edberg did.

7/29/03

Karen very kindly scanned and sent in a batch of Edberg items in her collection, including this one (right) of Stefan accepting the ATP sportsmanship award in (I think) 1990 from presenter Lynda Carter (TV actress). Please note the adoration of Ms. Carter, who supposedly told Stefan how much she enjoyed watching him play.
There are other interesting ones, see here. Many thanks, Karen!

• No news. But a review of what happened last year tells me that the International Hall of Fame should be making an announcement of nominees very soon. Because of what happened last year, I have disavowed this organization, but I realize that this may be our last chance in the U.S. to get to hear about and maybe even see Stefan in a relatively big way. So ...
• I have mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating:
  There is an Edberg group at Yahoo, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/edberg/, that's "an Unofficial fan club of the great swedish champion. News, pictures, memories and more."
  You will have to sign up for it, but I hope you will participate.

Mark has kindly sent in the image of another autographed drawing of Stefan - this one from many years ago. Many thanks again for sharing, Mark. Moreover, Mark has offered to provide prints of the drawings (see below - top one from the Queen's exhibition, botton from years ago) to anyone who's interested; if so, please write to me and I will put you in touch with Mark.

No news, but I had fun re-visiting the unbelivable collection of photos posted by Albert - hundreds of photos. If you have not visited it, you owe it to yourself. I will be posting these photos as feature pics in days to come, but here are the links: part 1, part 2, and part 3 - click on Edberg.

• More bonus from Mark of U.K, who sent in these two photos taken by a Becker fan that he met at Queen's:
  Obviously a Becker fan with good taste!

• I happened on an article by sports columnist Hubert Mizell of the St. Petersburg Times (March 23 2003), headlined as "Hall of Fame for Rose? Yes. In the dugout? No way." The article has nothing to do with Stefan but curiously ended with the line "Whatever happened to Stefan Edberg? " I have written to Mizell to ask him about that line, and also answered his question (assuming that he is interested.)

This year I visited the Stella Artois Championships at the Queens Club in London. I only decided to go along after hearing that Stefan was to play in an exhibition match against Boris Becker on finals day and was very lucky to get a pair of the last few remaining tickets for sale.

We arrived just after 10am, which was quite early really, but in some respects it¹s great to arrive before the gates open and soak up the mood of the spectators and the general atmosphere. People had travelled from all over the UK and in some cases from all over the world, much the same as they do for Wimbledon. It was great chatting to others about their favourite players, past and present and it was clear that the majority were looking forward to the match between the two former Wimbledon Champions more than any other match that day, it was almost as if the main final (Roddick vs Grosjean) was just a warm up to it to wet the appetite! Standing in the queue we saw Stefan arriving by courtesy car, followed by Boris driving himself in.

Arriving early also means that you are able to get to the practice courts as soon as is possible, always a joy at Queens Club because you can get so close to the players and thereby take some fantastic photographs as well as appreciate just how annoyingly talented they are! I took along 2 illustrations of mine, one of Stefan and one of Boris, with the aim of getting them both autographed - never as simple as it sounds. Although Stefan is in my view far more of a joy to watch and on every previous visit it has of course been him that I have rushed off to the practice courts to admire, I decided just this once to head to the court where Boris would be, to try for his autograph first; I had at least already got Stefans autograph several times, one of them being on another drawing of mine so took the view that I would get a couple more opportunities throughout the day to see Stefan and if not then so be it.

I was first to get to the court where Becker was due on to go through his practice routine, he was late in turning up (the players seem to get quite rigid time slots allocated) but as we stood waiting Goran Ivanisevic strolled past along one of the public footpaths without a care in the world and then Pat Cash turned up on a court opposite to do a TV recording with Andrew Castle, presumably for the BBC. However, once Boris did turn up the viewing alley designated for spectators became very cramped. He appeared very aware of the public presence and seems to lap up the attention that he gets, his real life persona not demonstrating the modest reluctance or almost comical shyness that he tries to convey on television during interviews nowadays. He definitely had a certain arrogance about him that you don¹t get with Stefan, which is of course just one of the reasons why so many of us admire Stefan. After finishing his practice, Boris did come over to sign some autographs and he eventually signed my illustration of him, although he seemed very reluctant to do so and ignored me right up until the last moment, I really was thinking that I had wasted my time but got lucky in the end!

The main final was first on and although there were flashes of good tennis, I am sad to say that it all felt a bit dull and predictable, Andy Roddick winning quite comfortably, mainly due to the power he has. You could sense that what was coming up next was what people were really waiting for and by no means were we disappointed. As the players walked on court the reception spoke for itself, loud and welcoming! As Stefan and Boris knocked up and their playing histories read out, the crowd took photographs at every opportunity and good humour was already apparent on both sides of the net - obviously a little different to previous meetings during their playing career. Stefan still looked incredibly fit and certainly no weightier, Becker perhaps looked a little bigger!

The opening point was a fine example of what was to come. Stefan won it with an exquisite backhand lob, an immediate example of why and how he won 6 Grand Slam titles. This kind of superb touch was repeated in Stefans first service game when he played an amazing half volley, still good enough to put any player on todays ATP Tour to shame. Becker took the first service break in the fourth game, only for Stefan to move up a gear in the eighth game, making some fine returns on the stretch just as he used to at Wimbledon, to get the service break back. The good humour continued throughout, with Boris pretending to be annoyed with a call by the net judge - he hit a trademark winning return only for Stefans serve to then be called a let. Stefan himself joined in the fun several times, mocking both himself and his opponent!

By the 12th game, the score 6-5 Becker, the tennis was being played at a sublime level, both players almost as quick to the ball and reacting as sharply as they ever did, and reminding us just why it is that their contests are missed so much. Unfortunately, Boris took the match 8-6 (they were playing first to 8 games) but were Stefan still playing competitively as much as Becker is, the result would likely have gone the other way. They then received a standing ovation from the whole crowd and an on-court interview was held. Stefan as as polite and understated as ever, he suggested that Boris would "maybe give me another chance to come back and beat him." How fantastic it would be if this could become a regular fixture.

After a short while I decided to head off to the players entrance/exit, in the hope of catching Stefan as he left. After about half an hour Becker walked past with his son and a few of those who had gathered alongside us went after him for autographs. There were a number of us still waiting and I started to wonder if maybe Stefan had already made his way to his hotel. But then his wife Annette appeared with their 2 children, followed by the man himself. I was first to approach him, asking if he would be able to sign my drawing. He replied "yes, sure" and put down his bag and racket holdall. Stefan was even kind enough and thoughtful enough to ask where specifically I wanted him to sign the drawing - such a warm and welcome contrast to the difficulties of obtaining the autograph of his opponent earlier in the day! He then spent time signing numerous autographs, posing for photographs with adoring fans and taking further time to talk to us and answer questions. Stefan suggested that he may be back in the UK during December while the Seniors Tour event at The Royal Albert Hall takes place, but it would only be to perhaps participate in another exhibition match as opposed to the main tournament. How pleased we would be to have another opportunity to see this fine player and fine gentleman on court again.

I have sent a print of the illustration that Stefan signed to him just as a way of thanking him, via his tennis foundation at the Swedish Tennis Association. Hopefully it will reach him and maybe I will get a reply - that really would be the icing on the cake of the best day I have ever had at a tennis tournament.

7/18/03

• From an AP article on the Swedish Open last week:
  Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg - the Swedish stars who combined for 24 Grand Slam singles titles - attended the opening ceremony together for the first time. Wilander is Sweden's Davis Cup captain.
  And I found another photo (right) of the Swedish greats on the Swedish Open site.

• From Jennifer:
  here's an item of interest ... It's an on-line poll on CNNSI.com --- Who was the best men's player of the 1980s? Stefan is mentioned there as one of the choices. Guess who I voted for? ;-)
  (My comments: online polls are bogus; but it's great to know that whoever set it up has acknowledged Stefan. I am especially heartened by that in these days of my heightened sensitivity about Stefan being slighted/forgotten. So go ahead, put in a vote for our beloved, as I did - it wouldn't hurt. Thanks for the tip, Jennifer.)

• No news, but a pleasant anecdote:
  I was flipping channels last Saturday and happened on the Hall of Fame tournament semi where Bob Bryan was playing an Austrian guy (he lost, unfortunately), and my ear perked up when I heard that his idols were Stefan and Michael Stich. Bob Bryan is half of the Bryan Twins, who hailed from California and are making their marks in men's doubles. Last summer, the Byran twins were at Cape Cod when Stefan was there for the Adidas Smash. In Cape Cod, Stefan teamed with Jan-Michael Gambil to play a set against them, and the twins won. I didn't see them with Stefan together much, although I did see Stefan looking at them intently while they were practicing while Stefan was waiting for the exhibition.
  I mentioned this to Penny, who had told me that she's a fan of the Byran twins, and she wrote to say:
  Thanks for sharing that piece of information with me about Bob Bryan. I didn't know that Stefan was one of his idols. That makes me feel great...that one of my favorite players shares a favorite player of mine too. :-) When I asked his twin brother Mike about Stefan playing last year at the Gullikson charity event, he had a huge smile on his face. He had nothing but nice things to say about Stefan. He said that Stefan could easily still play on the main tour. He said his volleys were still there. He was pracitically in awe of him.

• On a less plesant note: I am watching a tape of the 1985 Davis-cup final between Sweden and West Germany. This was the match between 17-year old Becker versus 19-year old Stefan. I already know the outcome, but it really was wrenching to see how Becker -- the darling of Germany after his first triumph at the Wimbledon -- was played up while Stefan was played down. The video feed was provided by Germany, and boy, those Germans ain't subtle. The spectators were harrying Stefan from the get-go, stomping their feet and cheering their own idol with all their might. Stefan had just won the first Australian Open, but on this occasion he was made to play on a surface that did not provide much spin, on which Stefan's game hinged. Without the high kick, Stefan's serve was easily broken.

  The German video feed focused the camera disproportionately on their boy wonder - Stefan was clearly secondary to them.
  What really saddens me is that the ESPN commentators (they were doing the commenting on the video provided by Germany) -- with the exception of Fred Stolle -- were just as Becker-centric, lavishing praise on someone who clearly needed little more of that, and, in the case of Cliff Drysdale, doing so at the expense of Edberg. (It's still that way :-( )

  I don't know if I can stand to finish watching this one.

• From an article on the CNN site:
  LONDON, England (Reuters) -- British tennis chiefs looked to the land of Bjorn Borg and Stefan Edberg on Wednesday to help produce the next home grown Wimbledon champion.
  The Lawn Tennis Association's (LTA) director of performance, David Felgate, announced the appointment of Swedish coach Martin Bohm to work with two of Britain's top prospects, and John McEnroe might also become involved in the LTA revival plan.
  BTW another article on the site mentioned that McEnroe beat Boris Becker in both singles and doubles in their World Team Tennis match last week.

I watched the 1984 Davis-cup doubles match several times and wrote it up here. What a treat. Too bad that there weren't more closeups of a very young Stefan. But what aplomb for an 18 year old "youngster." He certainly wowed the three ESPN commentators.

bookem - 12:30pm Jul 14, 2003 PDT Anyone else perplexed why Edberg isn't in the Hall of Fame yet?
To which I responded thus:
This is a sore point for me.
While I have no qualm about Boris Becker being eventually inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame (HOF) of tennis, his nomination for the induction was controversial. By the rules of the HOF, Becker is not yet eligible (he has not yet retired for 5 years), while Edberg retired in 1996 and IS eligible. I have written extensively about this issue (see http://www.oocities.org/edhead01us/snubbed.html and http://www.oocities.org/edhead01us/HOF.html.)
I even got to talk to the HOF's director, who, to his credit, attempted to placate irated Edberg fans such as myself.
I don't know if it's a coincidence - the Swedes apparently established their own tennis hall of fame and at last week's Swedish Open in Bastadd there was some kind of ceremony to induct all three greats: Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander, and Stefan Edberg (see writeup and photo at http://www.oocities.org/edhead01us/).
No matter how you cut it, Edberg was slighted. I've lost my respect for the U.S.'s Hall Of Fame completely.
The Tennis Guy then responsed:
I don't think you understand the rule completely.
"Recent Player Category Eligibility Criteria Active as competitors in the sport within the last 20 years prior to consideration. Not a significant factor on the ATP Tour or the WTA Tour within five years prior to election. A distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level, with consideration given to integrity, sportsmanship and character.
To be inducted as a Recent Player, a panel of the international tennis media votes on Recent Player nominees; a 75% favorable vote is required for Enshrinement."
Becker was ranked in the 100s when he retired, thus he was not a significant factor on the ATP Tour within five years prior to election. Thus Becker IS ELIGIBLE.
Second, a player doesn't get selected in the first two years when he is eligible, he has to wait certain time to be eligible again. Thus when Edberg was eligible, he probably lost to Mats Wilander (2002), Ivan Lendl (2001), which is fair to me.
I understand you are rooting for your favorite player, I am a big fan of Edberg as well. I don't think Edberg was slighted. It is more technicality and timing than anything.
And my final response:
Tennis Guy wrote: Becker was ranked in the 100s when he retired, thus he was not a significant factor on the ATP Tour within five years prior to election. Thus Becker IS ELIGIBLE. Edberg retired earlier when he was ranked No. 14 in 1996.
My response: Becker's year-end rankings were: 6 in 1996, 63 in 1997 and 69 in 1998 respectivly (see http://www.atpstat.de/en/players/becker.htm ), not in the 100s. This is why the Hall of Fame's ECO, Mark Stenner, gave the after-the-fact justification that a player that has fallen out the top 50s is considered no longer a significant factor, so that, by that reasoning, Becker would be eligible for nomination as of 1997. This argument flies in the face of logic and insults 90% of the pro-players on tour - those who are below the 50th ranking. Becker officially retired in 1999, and if he had to wait for 5 years, the earliest that he would be eligible for nomination (NOT induction) is THIS year.
The Tennis Guy wrote: Second, if a player loses in final ballot in the first two (?) years when he is eligible, he has to wait certain time to be eligible again. Thus when Edberg was eligible, he probably lost to Mats Wilander (2002), Ivan Lendl (2001), which is fair to me.
My response: If this were the case, I don't see why the Hall of Fame could not let it be known, especially when so many of us (including Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim) pressed them on the issue. To my knowledge, such a rule has not been articulated and, from my conversation with the Hall's CEO, I don't think he was aware of it either.
Tennis Guy wrote: I understand you are rooting for your favorite player, I am a big fan of Edberg as well. I don't think Edberg was slighted. It is more technicality and timing than anything.
My response: When pressed by Jon Wertheim, the justifications given by the Hall of Fame were (i) Becker was eligible by the rule of out of top 50 equals insignificant, and (ii) the HOF only wants to name one big-name per year to give said name the maximum publicity. These were the same arguments that I heard when I spoke to the CEO in person.
The HOF bent over backward to justify nominating Becker prematurely. If two big-names cannot be nominated at the same time, then why not Edberg now when he's eligible by rule and Becker next year? Also, rumor has it that Steffi Graf is a shoo-in for next year, and so I suppose Stefan will have to wait at least another year, possibly until Sampras, Agassi, and Michael Chang have had their turns?
QED: Edberg WAS slighted and will be viewed so by the tennis community.

I really hope that this is a reaction to the slight from the U.S. Tennis Hall of Fame (which is inducting Boris Becker this month, overlooking Stefan, see here):
Here's an article from Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet about Björn Borg and the Swedish Open (from 7.7.) There is something said about Edberg (and a PICTURE!)
Tennisstjärnan valdes dessutom till hedersmedlem i Swedish Tennis Hall of Fame tillsammans med de tidigare världsettorna Mats Wilander och Stefan Edberg. Kollegorna var snabba med att gratulera sin kompis som blivit pappa. - Det märks ju att han är en vältränad idrottsman, eftersom han precis har fått barn, skojade Stefan Edberg.
Moreover, the tennis star was elected honour member in the Swedish Tennis Hall of Fame together with the former world's number ones Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg. The colleagues were fast with congratulations to their friend who had become Dad: "It's noticeable that he is a well trained sportsman because he just got a child", Edberg joked.
PREMIÄRMATCH I mamma Patricia Östfeldts famn såg lille Leo Borg, 1,5 månad, för första gången pappa Björn Borg spela tennis när han invigde Swedish Open i Båstad tillsammans med Mats Wilander och Stefan Edberg.
In mother Patricia Östfeldts arms little Leo Borg, 1.5 months, saw father Björn Borg play tennis for the first time, when he opened Swedish Open in Båstad together with Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg
Many thanks to Markus for the find and translation. Stefan, Mats, and Bjorn had played an exhibition in year 2000. It's good to hear that they played again to open the newly schedued Swedish Open. Any photos and video will be greatly appreciated.

Wanted and willing to share: Edberg matches