Tennis legend Bjorn Borg reveals secret cancer diagnosis ahead of the release of his autobiography

Tennis icon Bjorn Borg's autobiography is set to be released within the next few weeks, with dialogue included on his secret battle with prostate cancer, which he has hidden away from the public.

The book, called Heartbeat, is set to be released on 18th September in a multitude of countries, including the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, and Latin America, alongside his home nation, Sweden. It was co-authored by his wife, Patricia.

The autobiography has found itself on the shelves in Italy, and according to reports from Swedish and Italian outlets, the 11-time Grand Slam champion has secretly been battling the illness. Despite not publicly talking about this, Borg is expected to touch on it in his small press tour promoting the book. It is not clear whether he has recovered from it or not.

Gunilla Bergmark from publishers Norstedts stated in March: "It feels like a big and important task to finally be able to publish Bjorn's story. "This is a book that many have been waiting for a long time and I can't think of a better person to write his story than Patricia."

The former star made his breakthrough in the sport at a young age, clinching his first major title at the age of 18 years and 10 days old - the youngest champion in the open era at the time. He would come back from two sets down to take the Roland Garros title back in 1974, before retaining his title the following year.

He would win his first Wimbledon title in 1976, before going on to defend it four more times. In this period, he also claimed the Roland Garros title in 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981, with the latter having concluded his ascendancy at the very top. He would come unstuck against his American rival, John McEnroe, in a mesmerising tussle, avenging the defeat he had suffered the previous year. Borg would then go on to lose the US Open final to the then 22-year-old, with this being his final major he entered. The Swede abruptly retiring from the game shortly after, in a move that left many speechless and shocked, especially with him only being 26 years old.

Speaking to The Athletic last year, Borg said: "I was very happy as a player, but the motivation was not there. If you don’t have the motivation to practice and compete every day, you can’t focus on what you do and what you need to do. I was happy, but I had no motivation and no focus. When I came back briefly, that was a different story. I’m writing a book. I’m going to tell everyone all about it next year."

His distinctive playing style caught the imagination of many in a period where serve and volley was the main tactic. His huge groundstrokes with extra topspin and precise accuracy caught many off guard, with them unable to find a way past the Swede. His commitment to the game was unlike anything many had seen, being incredibly fit and training a lot to perfect his craft. He was the first player to win both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, completing the task in three consecutive years.

His unique style on court has been replicated and revolutionised to this day, with many of the players following in his footsteps over the once traditional serve and volley mastered by the likes of McEnroe. His name has been etched into history, somewhat overshadowed by his bizarre decision to retire. This is going to be explained in his book, with fans having a golden opportunity to delve into the life of Borg.