Bjorn Borg (file pic). Alamy Stock Photo

Tennis icon Bjorn Borg battling cancer

The Swedish star, who turned 69 in June, dominated Wimbledon and Roland Garros in the 1970s and early 1980s.

TENNIS LEGEND Bjorn Borg says in his forthcoming autobiography that he has cancer, according to a blurb published on Amazon’s Italian site on Thursday.

“Until the last challenge, the most important one, not yet over, against cancer,” says the Italian blurb on the site, although the English-language entry contains no mention of the illness.

Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that Borg has prostate cancer.

Borg, who turned 69 in June, dominated Wimbledon and Roland Garros in the 1970s and early 1980s.

He won the French major six times between 1974 and 1981 and Wimbledon five straight years between 1976 and 1980. He also reached four US Open finals, but lost them all. He led Sweden to their first Davis Cup victory in 1975.

After hardly playing in 1982, he retired suddenly, aged 26, at the start of 1983.

In 1991, he made a short-lived comeback using an old wooden racket.

The Swedish publisher of the autobiography, Norstedts, has not yet responded to requests for a comment from AFP.

The book, titled Heartbeats, in English, is due to be released on 18 September.

– © AFP 2025

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