Bjorn Borg recounts his heavy drug use, prostate cancer and recovery in memoir 'Heartbeats'

"Impossibly talented and undeniably handsome, Björn Borg transcended his station as one of the greatest tennis players on the planet in the 1970s, morphing into an upper-crust teen idol, a symbol of silent stoicism and the polar opposite of his chief rival, the fiery John McEnroe. Nicknamed the "Ice Borg," the blond Swede became a global superstar, winning 11 Grand Slam titles - five consecutive Wimbledons and six French Opens - and grew to hate every minute of it."

"His life has been one of privilege but also was devoid of meaning for years, he said in a video interview with the Guardian. In the memoir, which was released Thursday in the United Kingdom, Borg, 69, dispassionately recounts the heavy cocaine and alcohol abuse that began shortly after he walked away from tennis, his recent bout with prostate cancer and finding inner peace and a measure of happiness with his third wife, Patricia Östfeld, two sons and two grandsons"

Björn Borg became a global tennis superstar in the 1970s, winning 11 Grand Slam titles, including five consecutive Wimbledons and six French Opens. Nicknamed the "Ice Borg," he was an upper-crust teen idol and a stoic counterpoint to rival John McEnroe. He abruptly retired in 1981 at age 26 and largely withdrew from public life for more than 40 years. After retirement he struggled with heavy cocaine and alcohol abuse. He battled advanced prostate cancer in 2014 and reports that "sleeping cancer cells" remain in his body. He became drug-free after meeting his third wife, Patricia Östfeld, and now enjoys tennis again and time with his two sons and two grandsons.

Read at Los Angeles Times