Bjorn Borg Aspires To Defeat Cancer ‘Like it is a Wimbledon Final’

Bjorn Borg, the Swedish tennis legend, has revealed that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. He shared the news in his autobiography Heartbeats: A Memoir, written with his wife Patricia. Borg said he underwent surgery in 2024 and is currently in remission. He added that he is determined to fight the illness with the same spirit he brought to the court.

Doctors first detected the cancer in 2023, despite Borg keeping up with regular health check-ups. His announcement sheds light on the importance of early detection and treatment. Borg described his battle as one he faces daily, comparing it to playing in a Wimbledon final. Borg said in an interview with BBC:

I spoke to the doctor and he said this is really, really bad. He said you have these sleeping cancer cells, it’s going to be a fight in the future. Every six months I go and test myself. I did my last test two weeks ago. It’s a thing I have to live with…I hope that I’m going to be OK. I take it day by day, year by year, hopefully. Now I have a new opponent in cancer – one I can’t control. But I’m going to beat it. I’m not giving up. I fight like every day is a Wimbledon final.

Borg remains one of tennis’s greatest champions. He won 11 Grand Slam titles, including five consecutive Wimbledon trophies between 1976 and 1980 and six French Open titles. His decision to retire in 1983 at just 26 shocked the sports world. He briefly attempted a comeback in 1991, but it was unsuccessful.

🥹 Bjorn Borg says he will fight his cancer ‘like it was a Wimbledon final’ pic.twitter.com/cYgYilp0ES

— Olly Tennis 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) September 18, 2025

One of the defining moments of Borg’s career was his rivalry with John McEnroe. Their 1980 Wimbledon final is regarded as one of the best matches in history. McEnroe won a dramatic fourth-set tiebreak 18-16, but Borg ultimately claimed the title in five sets, securing his place in tennis history.

Bjorn Borg Admits He Nearly Died From Cocaine-Fuelled Parties and Pills

11-time Grand Slam champion Bjorn Borg has opened up about his struggles with substance abuse. In his memoir Heartbeats, written with his wife Patricia, Borg revealed that he nearly lost his life twice due to overdoses after retiring from professional tennis.

Borg said in an interview to The Times:

I was soon back where I started. Then I started with the drugs or pills or alcohol; all these things. I think that was an escape from life — the reality just to escape. I didn’t have to think about it. I knew that I was not happy. I needed to do something but I had no idea what to do. It’s better to take all these things [drugs] because then you escape, you don’t think about it too much. And then they got worse and worse and worse. So stupid. I thought, I’m not playing tennis any more so I can try [cocaine]. That’s why I was thinking in that kind of way. I can try — what’s the problem?

He admitted that his first serious incident came in 1989, when he was found unconscious in Milan. At the time, it was reported that he had suffered a bad reaction to sleeping pills. In the book, Borg discloses that the collapse was actually caused by a dangerous mix of drugs, alcohol, and pills. A few years later, he experienced another life-threatening moment when he collapsed from a heart attack on a bridge in the Netherlands.

Borg explained that drugs and alcohol became a way to escape the emptiness he felt after retiring at just 25. Without the structure of competition and the adrenaline of matches, he struggled to find purpose and fell deeper into unhealthy habits. His attempt to move on from tennis left him feeling isolated and vulnerable.

Now, Borg has been free from drugs for more than 20 years. He says he is finally ready to share the truth about his darkest period, hoping his story will shed light on the struggles athletes can face after leaving the spotlight.

Laver Cup set to begin life after John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg

The Laver Cup is a three-day men’s tennis event featuring Team Europe vs. Team World. Each side has six players. The 2025 edition takes place at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, from 19–21 September. The tournament venue changes every year, with the first Laver Cup held in Prague in 2017.

This year’s lineup includes Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev for Europe, alongside Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Jakub Mensik, and Flavio Cobolli. Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur will represent Team World, joined by Francisco Cerundolo, Joao Fonseca, Alex Michelsen, and Reilly Opelka.

The event also introduces new leadership: Yannick Noah takes over from Bjorn Borg as captain of Team Europe, with Tim Henman as vice-captain. Andre Agassi replaces John McEnroe as Team World’s captain, with Patrick Rafter assisting him.

The format spreads across five sessions in three days. Teams compete to reach 13 points out of 24. Points increase in value each day—Day 1 matches count for one point, Day 2 matches for two, and Day 3 matches for three. If the score is tied after 12 matches, a deciding doubles match is played.

Matches begin Friday, 19 September, with two singles in the day session and one singles plus one doubles in the evening. Saturday follows the same structure. On Sunday, play opens with a doubles match at noon, followed by up to three singles matches if required.

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