Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Tennis legend Bjorn Borg reveals he has been living with prostate cancer

The 11-time grand slam champion said he ‘fights every day’ like a Wimbledon final in an upcoming biography

Bjorn Borg made an appearance at this year’s Wimbledon
Bjorn Borg made an appearance at this year’s Wimbledon (AP)

Tennis legend Bjorn Borg, who won 11 grand slam titles, has revealed in an upcoming biography that he has been living with prostrate cancer for the past two years.

Born, 69, told the Associated Press in an interview that he was diagnosed with an "extremely aggressive" prostate cancer and is in remission after undergoing an operation in 2024.

The five-time Wimbledon winner writes in his memoir, ‘Heartbeats’, “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. And those usually go pretty well, don't they?”

Borg spent two and a half years writing the book with his wife Patricia, and made an appearance at Wimbledon in July.

"I went through some difficult times, but (it's) a relief for me to do this book," Borg told the Associated Press. "I feel so much better."

On his prostate cancer diagnosis, Borg added: “The thing is that you don't feel anything — you feel good, and then it's just happened.”

Known as the ‘Ice Man’, Borg won 11 grand slam singles titles, including five in a row at Wimbledon and six at the French Open, before stunning the sport by announcing his retirement at the age of 26.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in