Bjorn Borg reveals prostate cancer battle in new autobiography Heartbeats
Bjorn Borg was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago.
The five-time Wimbledon champion has disclosed his battle with the disease in his upcoming autobiography, Heartbeats and told how he underwent surgery to have his prostate removed because the disease had advanced.
He wrote in the tome, which was written with the help of his wife Patricia: “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. And those usually go pretty well, don't they?”
The book is due to be released later this month, and Bjorn is expected to share more about his health struggles while on a press tour for Heartbeats.
The “candid” memoir promises to offer fans a “look behind the curtain” at 69-year-old Bjorn's glittering but relatively brief tennis career, which saw him win 11 Grand Slam titles before retiring at the age of just 26.
Publisher Diversion Books teased he will "explain his shock retirement" in Heartbeats. They added: "After all these years of silence, Borg is ready to share everything."
And a website for the book added: "Borg writes candidly about his childhood, his early stardom, and his uncomfortable relationship with fame, alongside all the highs and lows of his unmatched career."
The usually-private sportsman explained last year he decided to quit tennis because he was "very happy as a player, but the motivation was not there."
He added to The Athletic: "If you don’t have the motivation to practise and compete every day, you can’t focus on what you do and what you need to do. I was happy, but I had no motivation and no focus. When I came back briefly, that was a different story. I’m writing a book. I’m going to tell everyone all about it next year."