Tennis Legend Björn Borg Reveals Secret Cancer Battle In Tell-All Memoir

It was the peak of the Fire and Ice rivalry. Tennis legend Björn Borg was chasing a sixth straight Wimbledon title in 1981. Facing his American rival John McEnroe in a repeat of the 1980 final, Borg fell in a four-set epic, and again two months later in the US Open final.

Borg would not play another Grand Slam match again. In a move that shocked the tennis world, he announced his retirement in 1983, at just 26 years old.

The Swede was notoriously private, and kept his post-tennis life largely out of the spotlight. Now, with the release of his memoir Heartbeats in the UK on 18 September, Borg finally lifts the curtain on the struggles behind his icy exterior.

Fire and Ice: The Borg-McEnroe Rivalry

In his memoir co-written with his wife Patricia, Borg talks about the origins of his Iceman persona. He recalls being so ill-tempered as a child that his hometown tennis club suspended him for six months. Afraid of getting banned again, Borg learned to control his temper, even though he was boiling inside. In an interview with the AP, Borg said: 'I had to control my feelings ... You cannot do that in one week. It took years to figure out how I should behave on the court.'

Borg's cool demeanour contrasted with McEnroe's explosive personality, and their rivalry fascinated fans worldwide. Their 1980 Wimbledon final, a five-set epic won by Borg, remains one of the greatest matches in tennis history, often compared to the 2008 Federer-Nadal classic. Borg called the 1980 final 'the most satisfying match I ever played'.

Borg and McEnroe met 14 times on the regular tour, splitting victories evenly. Borg writes, 'We respected each other a lot... We were fighting to be the best in the world. To do that, you cannot be best friends.'

After the Applause: Drugs, Overdoses and Cancer Battle

Borg cites a loss of motivation for his shock retirement at 26. 'All I could think was how miserable my life had become,' he writes in Heartbeats.

He recounts the onset of panic attacks, drug use and overdoses. 'The first time I tried cocaine, I got the same kind of rush I used to get from tennis,' Borg confesses. He recalls an agonising moment in a Dutch hospital when he awoke to see his father at his bedside. He calls it 'the worst shame of all'.

Borg also gets candid about the struggles he faced after retirement, saying, 'I had no plan what to do... I had no people behind me to guide me in the right direction.'

In the final chapter of his memoir, Borg opens up about his battle with 'extremely aggressive' prostate cancer. He reveals that the diagnosis came in 2023, followed by surgery the following year. Currently in remission, he undergoes tests every six months. 'Now I have a new opponent in cancer — one I can't control. But I'm going to beat it. I fight like every day is a Wimbledon final,' Borg told BBC Breakfast.

Legacy and Relevance: Still a Force in Tennis

With 11 Grand Slam titles to his name, Borg remains a towering figure in and out of tennis. His distinct on-court style was an inspiration for Richie Tenenbaum, the forlorn tennis prodigy in Wes Anderson's 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums. His rivalry with McEnroe was dramatised in the 2017 sports drama Borg vs McEnroe.

Borg has presented the Coupe des Mousquetaires at the French Open final multiple times, a trophy he himself won six times. More recently, he served as Team Europe's captain in the Laver Cup from 2017 to 2024, squaring up against a Team World led by old rival McEnroe. 'I will continue to follow the Laver Cup and try to be there live as often as possible,' Borg said in a recent interview after ending his run as captain.

The original tennis rock star, Borg's legacy endures—revealed in Heartbeats, a memoir that unravels the Iceman's mystery and lays bare the battles behind the legend.