Björn Borg Faces Life ‘Day by Day’ After ‘Severe’ Prostate Illness Diagnosis
Björn Borg, an iconic athlete, disclosed that he is facing life “day by day, year by year” post an “extremely aggressive” prostate cancer diagnosis.
Health Update
The retired tennis star, who stepped away from the sport in his mid-twenties, revealed the medical update in the closing section of his memoir, set to release soon. The Swede is currently in remission after undergoing a procedure in recent years, but admitted that the revelation was “hard to process mentally”.
“I spoke to the doctor and he said the situation is very serious,” the champion revealed. “He explained about inactive cancerous cells and it’s going to be a fight going forward. Every six months I undergo check-ups. My most recent test was recent. It’s a thing I have to live with.”
Personal Struggles
Throughout his memoir Borg writes about panic attacks and past addictions, which he says started decades ago. “When I first used drugs,” he mentions, “I experienced a high reminiscent I used to get from tennis.”
He narrates a medical emergency to a Dutch hospital in the 1990s due to substance misuse on “alcohol, drugs, pills — my preferred ways of self-medication”. He also writes about “a moment of humiliation”, occurring upon regaining consciousness while hospitalized to see his father after another overdose.
Career Decisions
Throughout the memoir Borg describes his decision to retire in his twenties following defeats major tournaments against a familiar opponent. “I felt that I was deeply unhappy,” he states.
