TENNIS legend Bjorn Borg has opened up on his struggles after his shock retirement at the age of 26.
The now-69-year-old won Wimbledon five times in a row between 1976 and 1980.
The supercool Swede – dubbed “The Ice Borg” – was famed for his impassive style on the court.
But the sudden end of his stellar career heralded a disastrous spiral into addiction to cocaine, pills and booze.
Borg had previously admitted trying cocaine once but has now revealed rampant drug abuse which led to serious meltdowns.
He describes in a new book out today that his then wife, Loredana Bertè struggled to revive him and his stomach was pumped after he was found lifeless after a night of partying.
In his new autobiography “Heartbeats” the icon said: “The first time I tried cocaine, I got as big a kick as I once got from tennis.
“I had no plan. People today, they have guidance. I was lost in the world.
“There was more drugs, there was pills, alcohol, to escape myself from reality.
“I didn’t have to think about it. Of course, it’s not good, it destroys you as a person.”
Borg suffered an overdose in 1989 which saw him taken to a Milan hospital.
He made the decision to return to the tennis tour in 1991 and played until 1994 but did not win a single match.
He said: “I was close to dying many times. I fixed my life. I’m very happy with myself.”
Bjorn has also revealed he is taking life “day by day, year by year” after being diagnosed with “extremely aggressive” prostate cancer.
He announced the disease was “at its most advanced stage” but he would “fight every day like it’s a Wimbledon final”.
The revelation was announced in the final chapter of the Swede’s new autobiography – along with his first admission of years of drug addiction.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he said: “I spoke to the doctor and he said this is really, really bad.
“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.”
He is now in remission after having an operation in 2024.
He admitted he had been checking himself “for many years” before he was diagnosed in 2023.
He added: “The thing is that you don’t feel anything – you feel good, and then it’s just happened.
“I hope that I’m going to be OK. I take it day by day, year by year, hopefully.”
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