Borg nearly died twice from 'dangerous mix of drugs, pills and alcohol'

TENNIS titan Bjorn Borg has admitted that he almost died twice during a decade-long battle with drugs and alcohol.

- By Yasmin Syed

The five-times Wimbledon champion also revealed he has prostate cancer “and it is really, really bad”.

He said: “I take things day by day - year by year hopefully.”

In a new memoir the Swedish star, 69, tells how he became addicted to various substances after his shock retirement from tennis aged 25.

He had won 11 Grand Slams including Wimbledon five years in a row from 1976-80, a record that has never been beaten and only equalled by Roger Federer in 2007.

Borg also triumphed at six French Opens between 1974 and 81.

His astounding run in London was broken in the 1981 final by his longtime rival John McEnroe, who also beat him in the US Open two months later. Borg retired shortly after.

He said he tried cocaine for the first time at a party the following year.

“They always had parties in Manhattan,” he said. “So I went to one of the parties. I thought, I’m not playing tennis any more so I can try. That’s why I was thinking in that kind of way. I can try - what's the problem? If I knew what the problem could become in the years to come, it would be better not to try it.

'I knew that I was not happy. I needed to do something and had no idea what'