Alcohol, drugs, cheating, and cancer: the life of former Swedish tennis player Björn Borg

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, September 19, 2025, p. a11

Björn Borg begins his memoir with a story about being rushed to a Dutch hospital in the 1990s after an overdose of “alcohol, drugs, and pills.”

They were “my favorite forms of self-medication,” writes the great former Swedish tennis player.

And at the end of the book titled Heartbeats , Borg reveals that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“It’s good to have a good start and a good finish,” Borg, 69, said in a recent video interview with The Associated Press from his home in Stockholm.

In between, the 292-page book, which will be published in the United States by Diversion Books on September 23, contains revelations about his love life, various affairs and regrets, and the 11-time Grand Slam champion's detailed recollections of individual matches.

Borg quit tennis at 25, when he says he stopped caring if he lost. Known for his reserved, almost icy nature, the Swede kept much to himself during his days on the tour, as well as since his surprising retirement in his twenties.

It takes readers back to the moment after losing the 1981 Wimbledon and US Open finals to John McEnroe. Borg realized he was done.

“All I could think about was how miserable my life had become,” he writes.

She was 25 years old, and although she would briefly return to tennis, she never competed in another Grand Slam tournament.

After the 1981 U.S. Open final, a tournament he never won, Borg had a few beers and sat by the pool of a house on Long Island, where his friends were planning a party to celebrate a victory.

“I wasn't upset or sad when I lost the final. And that's not like me as a person. I hate losing,” he told AP. “My head was spinning, and I knew I was going to walk away from tennis.”

Björn wasn't always easygoing on the tennis court. The Swede writes about his childhood and his relationships with his parents (and, later, his children).

▲ " Heartbeats" is the title of her memoir, due out on September 23, in which she mentions Donald Trump, Nelson Mandela, and Tina Turner, among others. Photo by AFP

He recounts how he earned the nickname Ice-Borg for his coolness on the court, often contrasted by fans with the fiery John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. Borg notes that this didn't come about "organically," but rather through "the bitter experiences" of a 12-year-old boy.

"I was behaving very badly on the tennis court. I was cursing, cheating, behaving in the worst way you can imagine," he recalled in the interview.

Overdoses

The Swede talks about cocaine and two overdoses that landed him in the hospital. He writes about panic attacks and his drug use, which he says began in 1982.

“The first time I tried cocaine, I felt the same kind of rush I used to get from tennis,” he said.

He also talks about "the worst shame of all," which reportedly occurred when he looked up from a hospital bed in the Netherlands and saw his father. Borg also clarifies that a previous overdose, in 1989 in Italy, was accidental, not a suicide attempt.

“It was a stupid decision to get involved in this kind of thing. It really destroys you. I was happy to be away from tennis, to be away from that life. But I didn't have a plan for what to do, I didn't have people behind me to guide me in the right direction.”

He received cash payments and was robbed at gunpoint. A woman claimed he was the father of her child. Onlookers in Rome threw coins at him, which led to his never returning.

This isn't your typical sports autobiography: there's a reference to sending a message to Yasser Arafat, and five pages later, the phrase "Andy Warhol was easy to please." Donald Trump, Nelson Mandela, Tina Turner, and "my old friend Hugh Hefner" are mentioned, among many others.

“People will be very surprised by what really happened. For me, after all these years, everything I went through—very difficult times—it's a relief to be writing this book. I feel much better... No more secrets.”

▲ The Mexican arrives as an underdog for the fight scheduled for December 27 against the Japanese fighter. Photo @reydavidpicasso

Joshua Reyes Samano

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, September 19, 2025, p. a12

For months, when the possibility of a fight between David Picasso and Naoya Inoue arose, various boxing fans and experts considered a Mexican victory against the Japanese fighter almost impossible. Their assertion is supported by the devastating record of the so-called Japanese Monster (31-0), as well as by his strengths in the ring, which place him as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters.

Picasso, a neuroscience student at UNAM, will finally have this long-awaited fight on December 27 in Saudi Arabia for the undisputed super bantamweight championship, announced yesterday Turki Alalshikh, advisor to the royal court, responsible for organizing major sporting events in his country.

“Inoue is very strong, fast, and technical, but he's not invincible either. Pantera Nery caught him off guard and knocked him down. Tenths of a second in the ring can change fights. He's a very tough opponent. He's already proven he bleeds and falls. I definitely want to fight him, and I'm eager for that to happen,” Picasso said a year ago in a conversation with former boxer Érik Terrible Morales.

The Mexico City native takes the criticism as motivation, and in a video posted on social media, he interweaves scenes from his routine with his rival's most devastating moments. The editing isn't accidental; over the images, a fragment from the Rocky saga plays, becoming an echo of his own faith.

“Have you seen him? Have you seen his strength? You won't beat him! Maybe he won't win; maybe all he'll do is hold out as long as necessary. But to beat me, he'll have to kill me, and to kill me, he'll have to have a good heart. And to do that, he must be willing to die, too.”

As the voiceover ends , along with the iconic song Eye of the Tiger, Picasso concludes with a phrase that sums up his commitment: “My heart is firmly in the right place.”

The Mexican has 33 fights under his belt, with 32 wins (17 by knockout) and one draw. Among his most notable bouts is his victory over Azat Hovhannisyan in 2024 at the Mexico City Arena, before the exhibition bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and John Gotti III.

"Damn, he's going to face the final boss," "Inoue is going to destroy him," "You're an excellent boxer, Picasso, but I think you should have waited two or three fights to get a little more training and go in with the greatest confidence possible. Inoue is a monster in the ring, but if the Panther knocked him out, why can't you? I'm going with you, like a good Mexican," were some of the opinions fans posted on social media following the fight announcement.

Inoue, the undisputed super bantamweight champion, has won 27 of his 31 fights by knockout and has been champion in four different divisions: light flyweight, super flyweight, bantamweight, and super bantamweight.

“David is a very enthusiastic fighter, with a lot of desire and a strong will. However, the reality is that the world is cruel, and there's a certain element of it called technique and experience. He hasn't competed for a world title against any high-level boxer, so it might work out for him and he might be able to defy the challenge, but it's very complicated. It's the biggest challenge he could face. I hope it goes well and he has the necessary resources,” El Terrible explained to La Jornada .

The Japanese boxer will fight in Saudi Arabia after defeating Kazakh Murodjon Akhmadaliev by unanimous decision on Sunday to retain his World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization, World Boxing Association, and International Boxing Federation 122-pound titles. Picasso, meanwhile, defeated Kyonosuke Kameda in Las Vegas.

Cristina Gómez Lima

Correspondent

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, September 19, 2025, p. a12

San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, The body of 21-year-old boxer Jesús Iván Mercado Cabrera was found wrapped in a blanket in a desert area near the border between Mexico and the United States. A group of searchers located him on the side of the road.

The discovery occurred when members of the Buscando en San Luis Río Colorado group were conducting searches in the desert area and found the body abandoned on the side of the highway that connects the Gulf of Santa Clara, in Sonora, with the city of San Luis, Arizona. The identification was made thanks to the young man's tattoos.

Mercado Cabrera, known in the boxing world as Rafaguita , was originally from Nogales, Sonora, and competed in the bantamweight division. According to the specialized website BoxRec, he had a professional record of seven wins, nine losses, and one knockout. His career recently led him to fight in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, although his family was unaware that he was in San Luis Río Colorado at the time of his death.

The news caused consternation in the state's boxing community, which viewed him as a persistent fighter seeking to consolidate his career in the ring. Local authorities have not released information about the circumstances of his death or any possible perpetrators.

Georgina Saldierna and Andrea Becerril

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, September 19, 2025, p. a12

Yesterday, the Citizen Movement relaunched the initiative to ensure that both male and female athletes receive the same base salary and that there is no discrimination based on gender or disability.

The coordinator of the MC senators, Clemente Castañeda, explained that a similar reform had already been unanimously approved in the upper house during the previous legislative session, but it failed to reach a vote in San Lázaro, so they decided to reintroduce it.

During the "Changing the Game" forum held in the Senate, he emphasized that this proposal aims to combat precariousness in professional sports and guarantee substantive equality between men and women.

He asserted that he is not going against the sports industry, but rather seeks to demonstrate that this business is perfectly compatible with the right to a base salary for all people.

Representative and racquetball player Paola Longoria explained that the initiative seeks to transform sports in Mexico by expanding the protection of athletes' labor rights from a gender perspective.

Level floor

"We want a level playing field, because discipline, effort, and dedication are worth the same. Whether it's a men's or women's team, whether it's soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, or any other sport," he added.

Former Paralympic athlete and congressman Juan Armando Ruiz noted that Paralympic athletes have also historically been marginalized despite the recognition they have achieved in international competitions.

Representative Anayeli Muñoz believes that Congress must be consistent with the feminist policies being promoted so that the reform on substantive equality does not remain a dead letter.

Former soccer player Paola López Yrigoyen argued that base salaries should be negotiated jointly between the public sector and the private sector, including owners, federations, leagues, and athletes.

Afp and Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, September 19, 2025, p. a12

Kansas City., Mexican pitcher Andrés Muñoz reached 36 saves in the Major Leagues in his team's 2-0 victory, the Seattle Mariners, over the Kansas City Royals, which again tied them for first place with the Houston Astros in the American League West Division.

The tricolor left two runners on base in the ninth by striking out Adam Frazier with three pitches for his 36th save and is third on the general list of Major League Baseball (MLB), surpassed only by Carlos Estévez (40), of Kansas City, and Robert Suárez (39), of San Diego.

Fellow Mexican Randy Arozarena had a modest performance, only having four attempts at bat.

Dominican Luis Castillo pitched six innings and allowed only three hits , while his compatriot Jorge Polanco drove in one of the runs with a line drive to center field, giving him 73 this season.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers 3-1 at Comerica Park, securing their seventh straight win that puts them within a game and a half of the final American League qualifying spot.

Dominicans Jhonkensy Noel and José Ramírez hit home runs in the fourth and seventh innings, respectively.

From the mound, a group of four pitchers led by Tanne Bibee allowed just five hits to the Tigers' offense, one of the most potent in the Major Leagues.

In a duel between ranked teams, the New York Mets defeated the San Diego Padres 6-1.

Dominican Juan Soto reached 100 RBIs this season with a sacrifice fly in the third inning.

Soto, 26, in his first year with the Mets, is adding his third consecutive season with at least 100 RBIs, his record is 110 (2019).

Young sensation Jonah Tong pitched five complete innings, allowing four hits and one run for his second major league win.

The Red Sox, in turn, lost 5-3 to the Oakland Athletics, squeezing out of a three-game series against a team with no playoff aspirations.

Boston is still in position for the third and final wild-card spot in the New York Yankees' first-round wild-card race, but they fell two and a half games behind the Yankees.

AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, September 19, 2025, p. a35

New York, The Buffalo Bills achieved their third consecutive victory in the current NFL season by defeating the Miami Dolphins 31-21 this Thursday at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo.

Josh Allen threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns for the Bills. The 2024 MVP, Allen completed 22 of his 28 passes. A penalty on Zach Sieler for coming into contact with the kicker on fourth down allowed the opposing quarterback to extend the drive and eventually score the game-winning touchdown with a 15-yard strike to Khalil Shakir.

The hosts completed six of their 11 passes on third down and outscored Miami in total yards 360 to 276. Trailing by a touchdown , quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took the ball for the Dolphins and, although he approached the red zone, it all ended with another interception on a pass attempt to Jaylen Waddle.

The visitors relied on short passes and a ground game to hurt the Bills, who were favored to retain their division title, but in the end, it was their own mistakes that tipped the game in favor of the home team.

Buffalo remains in first place in the division with a perfect record, while the Dolphins are last, with three consecutive losses.