Bjorn Borg on prostate cancer diagnosis, John McEnroe rivalry & struggles with drugs and alcohol

Tennis legend Bjorn Borg says he takes life "day by day, year by year" after being diagnosed with "extremely aggressive" prostate cancer.

The 69-year-old announced the news in the final chapter of his autobiography, stating the disease was "at its most advanced stage" but he would "fight every day like it's a Wimbledon final".

Former world number one Bjorg won 11 Grand Slam titles, including five successive Wimbledons, before unexpectedly retiring aged 25.

The Swede is in remission,, external having had an operation in 2024, but described the diagnosis as "difficult psychologically".

"I spoke to the doctor and he said this is really, really bad," Borg told BBC Breakfast.

"He said you have these sleeping cancer cells [and] it's going to be a fight in the future.

"Every six months I go and test myself. I did my last test two weeks ago. It's a thing I have to live with."

Borg had been checking himself for prostate cancer "for many years" before his doctors found a problem in 2023.

They wanted to do follow-up tests, but Borg flew to Vancouver to serve as captain in the Laver Cup tennis tournament before returning for more tests.

"The thing is that you don't feel anything - you feel good, and then it's just happened," he said.

"I hope that I'm going to be OK. I take it day by day, year by year, hopefully."

Borg first picked up a racquet after his father won one in a table tennis competition.

The racquet was too heavy for the young Borg, leading him to develop his unique double-handed backhand.

Borg won six French Open titles between 1974 and 1981 and claimed his five Wimbledon titles from 1976 to 1980.

His SW19 final in 1980 against American rival John McEnroe - who saved seven championship points in a near four-hour epic - is seen as one of the best tennis matches of all time.

"That final was the most satisfying match I ever played. It had everything," Borg said.

Their rivalry was nicknamed Fire and Ice, with McEnroe prone to fiery on-court outbursts and cool Borg barely showing a flicker of emotion during a match.

McEnroe would eventually end Borg's Wimbledon dominance in the 1981 final and beat him in the US Open showpiece two months later. Borg retired shortly after the New York defeat.

"We respected each other a lot, all three of us," Borg said of his rivalries with McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.

"We were fighting to be the best in the world. To do that, you cannot be best friends."

But now, he said: "We are very good friends, me and John. We see each other, we go out for dinner, we talk about today's tennis.

"We never talk about the old matches."

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