Björn Borg to visit Pakistan during ITF Men’s Futures tournament series

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) has announced that tennis great Björn Borg will visit Pakistan during the ITF Men’s Futures Tennis Tournament series, which is scheduled to take place from 26 April to 10 May 2026 at the PTF Tennis Complex in Islamabad.

According to the federation, the tournament series will bring together more than 200 international players from different countries, making it one of the biggest international tennis events hosted in Pakistan.

The PTF described Borg as one of the most important figures in the history of the sport. During his career, he dominated men’s tennis in the 1970s and early 1980s, held the World No. 1 ranking for 109 weeks, and won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. Those victories included six French Open titles and five successive Wimbledon championships.

The federation said Borg’s visit is a major honour for Pakistan tennis and noted that he is widely regarded as a global sporting icon from the era before Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The visit is expected to rank among the most significant appearances by an international sports celebrity in Pakistan.

According to the PTF, Borg will travel with his family, including his wife and two sons. The federation said the visit is expected to raise the international profile of tennis in Pakistan and encourage young players across the country.

PTF officials welcome visit

PTF President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi said the Government of Pakistan, under the leadership of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, is doing commendable work in strengthening the country’s international standing by facilitating mediation efforts between Iran and the USA to help avoid a major global conflict, and that the tennis fraternity highly appreciates these peace efforts, adding that as a result of these initiatives, top global political dignitaries and international personalities are visiting Pakistan, reflecting the country’s growing importance on the world stage.

He further said that, in sports, he and the Pakistan Tennis Federation are making every possible effort to project a positive image of Pakistan internationally. He added that the growing number of visits by international sports personalities reflects the federation’s efforts to promote tennis and present Pakistan as a safe and attractive venue for international sporting events.

Mr. Qureshi added that the visit of Mr. Björn Borg will be a great boost for Pakistan’s international image as well as for the development and promotion of tennis in the country.

PTF Secretary General Col. Zia-ud-din Tufail, along with the federation’s management, also expressed pleasure over the planned visit and said every possible effort would be made to ensure the success of Borg’s trip and the smooth staging of the event.

The federation said the visit follows earlier high-profile sporting visits to Pakistan, including that of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, and described Borg’s trip as another important moment for the country’s sporting profile.