Shia LaBeouf has been pictured in character as tennis champion John McEnroe for the first time.

The actor is playing the Wimbledon winner in Borg/McEnroe, which will chart the rivalry between McEnroe and Swedish star Bjorn Borg during the 1970s and 1980s.

John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg shake hands on court in 1981John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg (PA)

The image, which has surfaced online, shows Shia and actor Sverrir Gudnason as Borg, posing for a pre-match picture.

Shia, who has been at the centre of his own share of controversies, has previously revealed he feels a kinship with McEnroe.

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, he said the tennis star “is me”.