Bjorn Borg has revealed he has prostate cancer in his new autobiography, according to Swedish media reports.<\/p>\n
The 11-time Grand Slam winner is preparing for the release of his new book Heartbeats later this month, but early release copies sold on Amazon have revealed the passage where the 69-year-old reportedly confirms his diagnosis.<\/p>\n
According to Swedish outlet Expressen, the book has been \u201csurrounded by great secrecy,\u201d with the publisher not sending advance copies to reviewers, while the tennis star will be doing minimal interviews in promotion of its release.<\/p>\n
The book on the man who won five consecutive Wimbledon Championships has been co-authored by his wife Patricia, but the duo have reportedly not replied to Expressen\u2019s requests to confirm the diagnosis, nor has the book\u2019s publisher.<\/p>\n
As one of tennis\u2019 most famous players, there has been much anticipation for the relase of the book with publisher Norstedts describing him as one of \u201cSweden\u2019s most iconic international sports stars of all time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBjorn Borg is one of Sweden\u2019s most iconic international sports stars of all time, with a unique success story to tell,\u201d said Norstedts Agency\u2019s Rights Director Linda Altrov Berg. \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I\u2019m not the only one eager to know all the things Borg has never revealed before \u2013 about his career, his life, his ups and downs. I\u2019m very much looking forward to selling Patricia Borg\u2019s story around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Borg was born in Stockholm in June 1956 and went on to become one of the best male players to ever play the game.<\/p>\n
He turned pro at the age of 17 and won the French Open six times from 1974 to 1981. That record was beaten only by his performance at Wimbledon where he won five consecutive Championships.<\/p>\n
The Swede was also a four-time runner-up at the US Open, although he only ever played once at the Australian Open, reaching the third round in 1974.<\/p>\n
Borg had a number of rivalries during his career with the likes of Jimmy Connors, but his most notable was with John McEnroe, with their 1980 Wimbledon final often considered one of the great matches of all time.<\/p>\n
He retired at the young age of 26, citing burnout and a loss of motivation, but is still joint sixth on the all-time list for most Grand Slams by male players.<\/p>\n