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.

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

First image of Shia LaBeouf and Sverrir Gudnason as John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg from the upcoming movie "Borg/McEnr… pic.twitter.com/wRn5M9IA7c

— PiFiZone (@PiFiZone) October 4, 2016

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”.