Björn Borg Opens Up in Memoir Heartbeats About Drug Overdoses and Cancer Diagnosis

Tennis legend Björn Borg reveals in his forthcoming memoir Heartbeats that he overdosed in the 1990s and was later diagnosed with prostate cancer. The 292-page book will be released in the United States by Diversion Books on Sept. 23, and Borg spoke to The Associated Press about the experiences in a video interview from his home in Stockholm.

The memoir covers more than his on-court feats. Borg writes about his childhood, his relationship with his parents, and the calm persona that earned him the nickname “Ice-Borg” on court, a contrast to the fiery rivalries with John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. He recounts how the demeanor did not come naturally, noting that it took years to master controlling his emotions after a youth when he swore, cheated and faced a six-month ban from his hometown tennis club. "Boiling inside? Yes," Borg told the AP, explaining that he had to learn restraint to avoid suspensions and keep playing at the highest level.

Borg quit tennis at 25 after losing the 1981 Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals to his rival McEnroe, a moment he frames as a turning point rather than a source of personal despair. He describes a postfinal mood of weariness and detachment: after the U.S. Open loss, he grabbed a few beers and joined friends by a pool on Long Island, reflecting that he was no longer emotionally invested in the sport even as he would briefly return to competition. The memoir frames that period as the beginning of a difficult, uncharted road away from the tennis stage.

He writes that his drug use began in 1982 and details panic attacks and two overdoses that he says landed him in hospitals. The first overdose, he writes, occurred in Italy in 1989 and he describes it as an accident rather than a suicide attempt. The second overdose occurred in the 1990s in the Netherlands and led to a hospital admission, a moment Borg says helped him confront the consequences of self-medication and the life he had pursued beyond his sport. The Swedish legend calls his choices a “stupid decision” that destroyed him and notes that he lacked a plan or guiding support after stepping away from tennis.

The AP interview excerpted in Heartbeats includes his admission that cocaine produced a rush akin to the one he felt on the court, a realization that he says carried with it a troubling realization about self-medication and the collapse of balance in his life. Borg also recounts a painful memory of seeing his father while hospitalized, a moment he describes as among the deepest sources of shame he faced in his career. He emphasizes that his path during this period was not a simple arc of triumph but a struggle with addiction, self-identity and purpose outside of tennis.

Borg’s memoir also inventories a life of travel and risk beyond the court: water-skiing injuries, death threats during the 1981 U.S. Open, being paid in cash, and even a period during which he felt vulnerable to danger on tours. He writes of a variety of experiences that shaped him off the court, from being robbed at gunpoint to enduring fan confrontations and a host of other memorable moments that border on the surreal when viewed through the lens of a tennis legend known for his composure.

The book is not only a narrative of high-profile moments; Borg name-drops a wide range of figures—from Trump to Nelson Mandela, Andy Warhol to Hugh Hefner and Tina Turner—painting a portrait of a life lived in the public eye and connected to a wider circle of cultural figures. Borg says readers will be surprised by what happened behind the scenes and that sharing his story represents a form of relief after years of private struggle. "For me to come out (after) all these years, all I went through — (it’s) a relief for me to do this book. I feel so much better. … No secrets anymore," he told the AP.

As the book closes, Borg reveals that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He frames the cancer as a new chapter, a reminder of the fragility and unpredictability of life after sport. He says it is meaningful to have a good beginning and a good ending, a sentiment he attached to his memoir’s arc. The US edition is scheduled for Sept. 23 through Diversion Books, and Borg has indicated that the project was a deeply personal undertaking intended to illuminate the full spectrum of his life, including the darker chapters that once remained hidden.

The memoir also reflects Borg’s ongoing privacy about his life away from the tour, even as he engages publicly about the lessons learned from his experiences. In the AP interview and in Heartbeats, he frames his story as one of resilience and honesty about the complex relationship between fame, personal health, and the pressures of living a life historically defined by perfection on the tennis court. Borg’s revelations extend beyond sports history, offering a candid portrait of a figure whose calm on court masked a volatile interior landscape and who now seeks closure through storytelling.