[6] The film, a production between Sweden, Denmark and Finland, was directed by Janus Metz Pedersen, from a screenplay written by Ronnie Sandahl, and stars Sverrir Guðnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny and Robert Emms.

[7] In 1980, disciplined Swedish tennis champion, Björn Borg and abrasive American upstart, John McEnroe prepare to compete at Wimbledon.

Arriving in London, Borg sets out his meticulous Wimbledon routine, and McEnroe draws his own tournament bracket on his hotel room wall.

They proceed through the first and second rounds, and McEnroe and fellow player Vitas Gerulaitis discuss rumors of Borg's superstitious habits, including fine-tuning his rackets and cooling rooms to lower his heart rate.

Flashbacks to Borg winning his first French Open in 1974 and Wimbledon two years later, as each tournament's youngest player ever, emphasize the pressure his career has placed on him.

He wins, but storms out of a contentious post-game press conference, and later completes his handmade bracket: Borg faces McEnroe in the Wimbledon final.

Despite facing seven match points, Borg rallies to win the fifth set and the title, while McEnroe's sportsmanship receives a standing ovation.

An epilogue reveals that John defeated Björn at the following Wimbledon championship, with Borg retiring that year at the age of 25, but they later became close friends — "Former rivals, best enemies".

[9] In an interview with Variety at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, LaBeouf was excited about the script and working with Scandinavian directors, stating, "They make better movies.

[10] Gudnason described that he felt "a huge sense of authenticity, when I [he] and Shia walked from the changing room to what [was] supposed to look like the Centre Court arena, before hundreds of extras".

The website's consensus reads, "Borg vs McEnroe makes tennis improbably cinematic -- and brings the absolute best out of Shia LaBeouf, who delivers some of the best work of his career.

"[24] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter called it "An acting-forward sports film capable of engaging viewers who don't know their 30-loves from their birdies or hat tricks.