Volkswacht Bodensee - Tennis icon Borg battling cancer says publicity for autobiography

"Until the last challenge, the most important one, not yet over, against cancer," says the Italian blurb on the site, although the English-language entry contains no mention of the illness.

Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that Borg has prostate cancer.

Borg, who turned 69 in June, dominated Wimbledon and Roland Garros in the 1970s and early 1980s.

He won the French major six times between 1974 and 1981 and Wimbledon five straight years between 1976 and 1980. He also reached four US Open finals, but lost them all. He led Sweden to their first Davis Cup victory in 1975.

After hardly playing in 1982, he retired suddenly aged 26 at the start of 1983.

In 1991, he made a short-lived comeback using an old wooden racket.

The Swedish publisher of the autobiography, Norstedts, has not yet responded to requests for a comment from AFP.

The book, titled Heartbeats in English, is due to be released on September 18.

P.Keller--VB