The blond hair of his glory days on the Centre Court may now be grey but the aura that surrounded Bjorn Borg at SW19 all those years ago remains, judging by John McEnroe's words in Belfast on Wednesday.
The two tennis legends are among the eight stars of yesteryear who have travelled to Northern Ireland to compete in the opening event on this year's Blackrock Tour of Champions.
McEnroe acknowledged that he didn't plan to play in Belfast until he heard that Borg would be competing.
Two men of contrasting styles and temperaments but whose friendship has remained steadfast on and off court for more than 30 years.
"I wasn't sure it was going to happen again so this is a nice surprise to be able to get out and play him a few more times," said three-times Wimbledon champion McEnroe.
"It brings back great memories. We try to do what we used to be able to do and bring back some of the magic.
"I'm not getting any younger but I'm still in good shape"
"We know each other's games so well so we know what's coming. It's almost as if, you are trying to hark back to the great matches (we had)."
Borg, who is now 51, didn't play in last year's inaugural staging of the Belfast event but he rejoined the circuit later in the season and "is having a lot of fun playing against these guys again".
"I'm not getting any younger but I'm still in good shape," said Borg, who looks as lean as ever.
"You need to work on your physical condition a bit because you want to play well and be able to stay out there on court for quite a well.
"Everyone who played here last year said it was a great event and that they had a lot of fun playing in front of big crowds.
"I've come here because I've never been to Belfast and because this is such a great event to play in. And it's always a special feeling to see John's face on the other side of the net."
Borg's clash with the 49-year-old on Friday evening is a sell-out at the Odyssey Arena but the Swedish legend's first match this week will be Thursday afternoon's encounter against Britain's Jeremy Bates.
Friday's match inevitably has got the Belfast chattering classes reminiscing about the duo's epic Wimbledon final encounters in 1980 and '81.
"Bjorn took me under his wing and showed me some respect which meant more than any other accolade I could have received at the time"
Indeed, McEnroe is in no way boasting when he states that their matches are part of sporting history.
"He was my greatest rival. It does feel special (this week) and you don't know how many times this is going to happen again. It makes you feel proud that people feel like that."
As ever, McEnroe did most of the talking at Wednesday's press conference but the mutual affection from the two greats was palpable.
McEnroe recalled that he was working as a ball-boy at the US Open in the early 1970s when he set eyes on a 15-year-old Borg for the first time
"He brought so many things to the table. Not only the way he looked but the aura that was around him, the Beatles of tennis.
"All those young girls going crazy. Watching them, I thought: 'God, I wish a couple of those would come my way'.
"The way he acted was unusual for me. I would go out to the practice court and try to act the way he did but I would find it hard to do it even then.
"He gave people a lot of hope and belief that someone from a country with not a lot of history in tennis could achieve what he did.
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"The magnitude of what he did inspired a lot of people all over the world.
"If you top that off with his style of playing which was considered more of a clay court style or baseline style and what he did with winning the French (Open) and Wimbledon so many times.
"No one has done it since so it was pretty amazing."
But it was Borg's kindness as a human being which especially moved the volatile New Yorker.
"I felt lucky that Bjorn took me under his wing and showed me some respect which meant more than any other accolade I could have received at the time.
"He put his arm around me and made me feel I was part of that small elite group."
Belfast will certainly enjoy the presence of the two legends over the coming days.
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