Retired Swedish tennis great Bjorn Borg was rushed to a hospital emergency ward Tuesday and treated for what police said appeared to be an overdose of barbiturates.
Doctors at the Milan Polyclinic pumped Borg's stomach and pronounced him out of danger. He was discharged and permitted to return home four hours later. Police said they were trying to determine the circumstances of what they called an apparent attempted suicide.Borg's personal adviser, Ingmar Alvedal, denied that the retired tennis star had attempted suicide. He said the Swede told him by telephone he had merely become ill after eating dinner at a restaurant.
"Borg felt ill after dinner and took about three pills to help him fall asleep. Later during the night he felt even worse and went to the hospital where doctors decided to pump his stomach," Alvedal told Swedish radio.
Borg, 32, a five-time Wimbledon champion now retired from professional tennis, was staying in Milan with his girlfriend, Loredana Berte, an Italian pop singer.
Berte telephoned the Red Cross for an ambulance at about 9 a.m. and stayed at his bedside in the hospital.
"I'm fine, it's all over," Borg told reporters outside Berte's apartment.
"Go away all of you," snapped Berte.
The couple has been together for several years and announced recently they intended to marry, but the Roman Catholic Church has obstructed their wedding plans because it has not approved their previous divorces.
Borg shares custody of his 3-year-old son, Robin, with his former girlfriend, 21-year-old Swede Jannike Bjorling.