Meet Magnus Gustafsson, Tennis Director at Unisport and former World No. 10
Magnus Gustafsson on a life in tennis, Swedish tour support and memories of playing Sweden’s premier tournament…
Magnus Gustafsson has spent a lifetime in tennis, from his days as a top-10 professional to his current role as Tennis Director for Unisport. Having grown up in Gothenburg, Sweden, where his parents started a tennis club, Magnus was part of Sweden’s dominance in the sport during the 1980s and ’90s. With over 16 years on the ATP Tour and multiple titles to his name, he’s now helping to shape the next generation of tennis players by advising clubs on court surfaces.
We sat down with Magnus to discuss his career, his role at Unisport, and why Laykold is his court surface of choice.
You had a phenomenal playing career. What are some of your fondest memories from playing on home courts at the Stockholm Open?
I have fantastic memories of playing there. My big breakthrough came at the Stockholm Open in 1987. I got a wild card and made it all the way to the semi-finals, even though I wasn’t even in the top 100 at the time. In 1989, I made it to the final, where I faced Ivan Lendl, the world No. 1.
What made that final so special was that my parents came to watch. They rarely traveled with me on tour, but they made the trip from Gothenburg for that match. I remember being incredibly nervous—there were 18,000 people in the Globe Arena, and I was playing the best player in the world. As I was walking onto the court, I saw my mom in the stands, knitting a sweater. That relaxed me completely. It was her way of saying, “Don’t worry about the result, just have fun.”
You’ve spoken about your admiration for Mats Wilander. What was it like to beat him in the semi-finals in 1989?
That was surreal for me. Growing up, I didn’t think I’d ever reach the top, and players like Wilander seemed untouchable. Then suddenly, I’m on the same court as him in the Stockholm Open semi-finals, and I beat him. It was hard to believe at the time.
What made that era of Swedish tennis so special was the camaraderie among us players. I remember being at the Australian Open in 1988, and Joakim Nyström called me at my hotel to invite me to dinner with the other Swedes. From that moment on, it felt like we were a team, even though we were all competing individually. We’d push each other to be better, and that support was invaluable.
You also played Thomas Enqvist in the final in 1999. What was that like?
It was different from 1989. By 1999, I was older and didn’t expect to reach the final, so it was a bit of a surprise. Enqvist was in great form, and I didn’t get many chances against him. But playing in front of a home crowd is always special—it’s rare as a tennis player to have that kind of support.
Funnily enough, the only other place where it felt like a home crowd for me was Australia. There were always a lot of Swedish backpackers in the stands, dressed in blue and yellow, cheering us on. I think that’s why I always played some of my best tennis in Australia—because it felt like playing at home.
“Stefan Edberg gave me great advice before I retired: he said the most important thing is to know what you’re going to do the day after you stop.”
How did you approach retirement from professional tennis?
When I stopped playing professionally, I knew exactly when my last match would be—the Stockholm Open. Stefan Edberg gave me great advice before I retired: he said the most important thing is to know what you're going to do the day after you stop. The day after, I joined my brother's company, GSL – Gustafsson’s Sport & Leisure, which he had started in 1994 and is still running today. GSL is a distributer of sport leisure brands and it came full circle for me since I wore Fred Perry when playing and then became a distributor of the brand throughout Scandinavia. Then, about 15 years later, I got into the business of making tennis courts with Unisport.
What’s your role within Unisport?
Now, most of my work is in Sweden, with a little bit in Denmark and Norway. I'm not the one physically building the courts, but I handle the relationships with clubs and clients, advising them on how to proceed when they're planning a new court. I explain the differences between surfaces, and we often invite them to test different options.
What do you think makes a great tennis surface?
For me, a great surface is one that’s fair. It shouldn’t be too fast or too slow. Players should be able to serve and volley, but also stay back and rally. In Sweden, we play indoors for much of the year because of the cold winters, so it's crucial to have a slower surface indoors, especially for young players. A slower surface helps kids develop their technique—longer rallies, better endurance.
When it comes to hard courts, we only work with Laykold. Sweden has traditionally been more of a clay court country, largely because King Gustav V played on clay in the 1940s, and many clubs followed suit. But clay courts require a lot of maintenance, and many clubs don't have the resources for that anymore. A hard court, like Laykold, is much easier to maintain.
Do you have a favorite Laykold system?
Yes, the Laykold Masters 5 is my favorite. It has a rubber mat underneath that gives it a softer feel when you run on it, which is better for your body. And while it’s a slow surface, it doesn’t feel too slow—it strikes the right balance.
One thing I always tell clubs is to test the surface not just when it’s brand new but after a year, five years, and even 10 years. Some surfaces play well after one year but deteriorate quickly. With Laykold, you know you’re getting a surface that holds up for the long term.
Do you still keep in touch with the other Swedish players from your playing days?
Yes, we do. It’s not like Thomas Enqvist and I talk every week, but we catch up once or twice a year. The funny thing is, even if I haven’t seen some of the guys for five or ten years, it feels like we saw each other yesterday. We have a strong bond, despite being fierce competitors on the court. In fact, if I wanted to beat anyone, it was a fellow Swede! But off the court, we were great friends.
Looking ahead to this year’s BNP Paribas Nordic Open, who do you think will take the title?
Grigor Dimitrov has a good chance. He’s been playing well, and I know he enjoys playing in Stockholm. The surface at the Royal Tennis Hall is a Laykold, which suits his game. I’ll be commentating at the tournament, but I’ve never been very good at predicting winners. Still, Dimitrov would make a great champion.
The BNP Paribas Nordic Open takes place October 12th – 20th in Stockholm.
To see our interview with BNP Paribas TD, Thomas Enqvist, visit: Meet Thomas Enqvist, Tournament Director, BNP Paribas Nordic Open, Stockholm — Laykold - Official Surface of the US Open.