Tennis legend Bjorn Borg's harrowing account of his cancer: "I take life one day at a time."

At just 25 years old and already a world tennis institution, Bjorn Borg decided to put down his racket and step aside. He returned briefly, almost a decade later, and captained Team Europe in the Laver Cup—which starts this Friday—until this year. But his greatest challenge has undoubtedly been overcoming prostate cancer, which still impacts his life: "I take life one day at a time, year by year."

The winner of 11 Grand Slam titles, six Roland Garros titles, and five Wimbledon titles, was diagnosed in 2023 with a prostate problem and underwent surgery a year later. Since then, the disease has been in remission.

"When I spoke to the doctor, he told me I was in very, very bad shape. He said it would be a struggle going forward. I get tested every six months. The last test was two weeks ago . It's something I have to live with," he told the BBC ahead of the start of the Laver Cup in San Francisco. "It's like you don't feel anything, you're fine, and then suddenly something goes wrong. I hope everything will be fine in the future. I just take life one day at a time, year by year ."

A 66-time singles champion with 109 weeks at the top of the rankings, Borg played some of the most iconic matches in tennis history, such as the 1980 Wimbledon final against John McEnroe, before retiring against all odds at the age of 25: "I'd had enough. I'd lost interest and motivation ." "If I'd known what was going to happen years later, I would have kept playing," admits the Swede.

Borg also spoke openly about his struggles with drugs and alcohol. "I didn't have a plan. People today have help that can guide them. I was lost in the world. There were drugs, pills, and alcohol to escape reality . It's not good, of course; it destroys you as a person." In this regard, the former tennis player acknowledged that he was "close to dying many times," but managed to get his life back on track and now feels "very happy" with himself.