BJörn Borg, legend of world tennis, it is told in an autobiography intimate and without filters written together with his wife Patricia. And in an interview a Republic The former 69 -year -old Swedish champion, known for his 11 Slam titles, opens his heart on a life of successes, falls and rebirths, marked by addictions, personal crises e A dramatic episode in Milan, where Loredana Bertè, his ex -wife, saved his life.
A Rockstar career of sport
In the 70s, Björn Borg revolutionized tennis. With his unique style – band on the front, long hair, two -handed backhand – he conquered 6 Roland Garros and 5 consecutive Wimbledon, becoming a pop icon comparable to the Beatles. “We were the rock stars of tennis, we played new music», Borg says in the interview a Republic. He introduced the top-Spin, chosen Montecarlo as a residence and relying on a coach and massage, breaking with tradition. But fame had a price: “Everyone wanted something from me, and I was wondering: that’s really that I have to spend every day of my life?”.
His retreat at only 26 years old, after the defeat against Mcenroe in 1981, was not a scheduled farewell, but an escape. “I couldn’t. I lost from Mcenroe, I went to take a shower, I deserted the award ceremony, “he confesses. That night, only in the pool with a chest of beers, he decided to close with tennis. A choice that left him without a plan, vulnerable in the face of an existential void.
Bjorn Borg: Loredana Bertè saved my life
Life after tennis was a vortex of excesses. Study 54 visitor to New York, Borg met Andy Warhol and, in 1982, started using cocaine, mixed with alcohol and drugs. “There my fall began: I dragged myself into nights, I stunned with parties and parties “remember. The depression and panic attacks overwhelmed it, bringing it to a breakage point. In Milan, in 1989, a dramatic episode: “He found me in bed unconscious, called the ambulance, at the hospital they made me a gastric lavender”tells, referring to Loredana Bertè, who, supports, saved his life. “I owe her life”, In fact, he admits gratitude.
The relationship with Bertè, started in Ibiza and continued in Milan, was intense but tormented. “I attended wrong people, I accepted everything, I was in a tangle,” explains Borg. Despite Bertè’s desire to have a child, the relationship crumbled under the weight of addictions and personal difficulties. After the separation, Borg moved to London, returning to training to reconstruct himself.
The rebirth and the return to tennis
The tennis, which had led him to the summit and then abandoned, became his foothold. In 1991, at 34, Borg returned to play in Montecarlo, with a wooden racket, against Jordi surrendered. «I lost in two sets, but I was happy. I hadn’t returned to win, but to live», He confesses. That match marked his return to life, a way to find a lost balance.
Today, Borg lives a more sober life: wake up at six, 45 minutes of exercise bike, no spirits. “I weigh myself every day, woe to the extra act,” he says, underlining a physique that has never betrayed him. The fight against prostate cancer, recently diagnosed, prompted him to send a message: “I invite all men to prevent, it is a silent tumor”.
An icon beyond numbers
Borg never let himself be obsessed with statistics, unlike modern tennis players. “I was interested in winning the important tournaments, not counting the days at the top of the ranking”, He says. In his heart, tennis remains a lively passion: admire young talents like Sinner, “serious, determined, ferocious”, and the reverse of muzzles. Reflecting on his place in history, he ran between the top five ever: “Djokovic won more, but I, Federer and Nadal have brought tennis to another dimension”. His life, as he says, was “a long game”. From the top to the bottom, Björn Borg has learned to get up, thanks also to those who, like Loredana Bertè, have tested a hand in the darkest moments.