Bjorn Borg reveals secret cardiac arrest and aggressive cancer in memoir

Tennis legend Bjorn Borg says he suffered a secret cardiac arrest during a night described as a 'hangover of alcohol, drugs and pills' and is living with an 'extremely aggressive' prostate cancer for which he had surgery last year and is now in remission. The 69-year-old Swede, who won 11 major titles and five Wimbledon crowns, spoke publicly for the first time about the episodes while promoting a bombshell memoir.

In excerpts from his forthcoming memoir, called 'Heartbeats', Borg recounts the collapse on a Dutch bridge during a party and says his heart stopped as he sank into unconsciousness. He describes the ground moving, the world going dark, and the sense that his life was slipping away, with no bright light. He also writes that the first time he tried cocaine was after his retirement, and that drugs, alcohol and pills became part of a pattern he could not break. He writes that the cancer is now at its most advanced stage and that he treats the illness as if he is playing a Wimbledon final, with doctors warning that the fight ahead will be long.

The book also outlines a string of medical crises during Borg's post-sport years, including a 1989 hospital visit in which his stomach was pumped after he failed to wake, an episode he has described as a wild night in Italy rather than a suicide attempt. He says the moment he woke in a hospital bed with his father beside him stands as one of the deepest sources of shame of his life.

A turning point arrived with the support of his third wife, Patricia Ostfeld, who helped him quit drinking and drug use. Borg says he now has a strong relationship with his two sons and that he tries to live day by day, balancing ongoing cancer monitoring with family life.

Borg’s decision to speak publicly after decades of privacy comes with the aim of presenting what he calls a solid beginning and ending to his life story, saying the memoir offers a window into both a celebrated sports career and a personal battle with addiction and illness.