Tennis legend Bjorn Borg, known for his ice-cold composure on the court, has revealed a side of his life few ever knew.
At 69, the Swedish icon is sharing deeply personal stories about his battle with cancer, a tumultuous past, and near-death experiences in his upcoming memoir, Heartbeats.
A Private Life Comes Into the Spotlight
Borg, who won 11 Grand Slam titles and an unprecedented five consecutive Wimbledon championships, has mostly kept his personal life away from the public eye.
Now, he is breaking decades of silence with candid accounts of both his triumphs and struggles.
The memoir delves into the darker chapters of his life, including “extremely aggressive” prostate cancer and a lifestyle marked by intense partying following his abrupt retirement from tennis at just 25.
Facing a Life-Altering Cancer Diagnosis
Borg revealed he underwent surgery last year and is now in remission, but the emotional toll remains.
“Living day by day and year by year,” he told BBC Breakfast, describing the psychological weight of his diagnosis.
He added: “I spoke to the doctor and he said this is really, really bad.
He said you have these sleeping cancer cells and 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.”
In the final chapter of his memoir, Borg compares his battle with cancer to playing a Wimbledon final, treating each moment with the same intensity and focus he once reserved for tennis.
Retirement and the Descent Into Chaos
Borg shocked the sporting world when he retired at the peak of his career, citing the emotional toll of losses to John McEnroe in Wimbledon and US Open finals.
“All I could think about was how miserable my life had become,” he admits.
Following retirement, Borg’s life spiraled into excess.
He describes experimenting with cocaine in 1982, recalling the intense rush reminded him of the thrill of playing tennis.
Near-Death Experience on a Dutch Bridge
One of the most harrowing moments recounted in his memoir took place the same year.
Borg collapsed on a bridge in the Netherlands, going into cardiac arrest. He recalls:
“I feel the ground beneath my feet heaving.
It’s like I’m moving in the air; I can’t move forward. At that moment, I sink to the ground.
Everything goes black, and the unimaginable happens. I’m dying. I see no bright light; everything is simply gone.
My heart no longer goes boom boom boom—it’s standing still.
Yet, just before everything goes black, I think: how could it have come to this?”
The night had started innocently with dinner but escalated into a dangerous mix of alcohol and drugs during an exhibition tournament.
The Struggle With Addiction
Borg writes that once he started using drugs, he felt powerless.
“Once I had the drugs in my sights, I was at their mercy for the rest of the evening. I couldn’t stop myself.”
His darkest period included another scare in 1989 when he had to have his stomach pumped after a night of heavy partying in Italy.
Borg insists these incidents were not suicide attempts but consequences of his uncontrolled lifestyle.
Rebuilding Life With Family
With the support of his third wife, Patricia Östfeld, Borg overcame his addictions and rebuilt relationships with his two sons.
His first son, Robin, born during his turbulent years with Swedish model Jannike Björling, was placed in his parents’ custody.
“My life was hell. Other people would have taken their own lives,” Borg reflects.
By the time his second son, Leo, arrived in 2003, life had stabilized.
Borg proudly notes that Robin, now 40, has his life together as an ice hockey manager, while Leo continues to pursue tennis professionally.
Why Borg Chose Now to Tell His Story
After decades of privacy, Borg explains that releasing Heartbeats was about closure and legacy.
“It is important to me to have a good beginning and a good ending,” he said, emphasizing the significance of sharing both the highs and lows of his extraordinary life.