Tennis legend Bjorn Borg reveals battle with aggressive prostate cancer

Former world number one Bjorn Borg has revealed that he's living with “extremely aggressive” prostate cancer, saying he now takes life “day by day, year by year.” 

The 69-year-old former athlete shared the news in the final chapter of his autobiography Heartbeats: A Memoir, written with his wife Patricia.

Borg said the disease with its “most advanced stage” when diagnosed, but he remains determined to “fight every day like it’s a Wimbledon final".

Borg, who won 11 Grand Slam titles, including five successive Wimbledon crowns from 1975 to 1980, retired at the age of 25 after a dominant career that also included six French Open titles. 

He described the diagnosis as psychologically delicate, indeed after surgery in 2024 placed him in remission.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Borg said doctors advised him about “sleeping cancer cells” that could return. He undergoes medical tests every six months and continues to live with uncertainty.

His rivalry with John McEnroe defined as "Fire and Ice" of tennis, with their 1980 Wimbledon final still regarded as one of the sport’s topmost matches. Borg recalled that victory as the most satisfying of his career, despite McEnroe ending his dominance the following year.

In his memoir, Borg also reflects on post retirement struggles, including drug and alcohol use, and a hospitalisation in 1989 that forced him to rebuild his life. Despite relapses, Borg said he's now “very happy” with the life he has erected.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a disease that starts in the prostate, a small gland in men that make fluid for semen. It happens when cells in the prostate grow in an unusual way. Doctors can find it early through medical test and give treatment if needed.