Bjorn Borg Stockholm tennis
Sophie Eastaugh/CNN

Story highlights

Bjorn Borg: Tennis is "one of the cleanest sports"

"Tennis has been very protected for many years," adds Borg

Spoke to CNN Open Court's Pat Cash

Swede is an 11-time grand slam winner

CNN  — 

It’s been a trying start to the year for tennis, with match-fixing allegations and Maria Sharapova’s failed drugs test putting the sport into the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Despite these controversies, in a rare interview with CNN Open Court, Swedish tennis great Bjorn Borg said the game still shapes up to be “one of the cleanest sports.”

“Sooner or later [this] would come up in tennis too,” the 11-time grand slam winner told CNN’s Pat Cash on Tuesday. “I think tennis has been very protected for many years.”

“Slowly it’s been coming … [there have been] illegal things in other sports. I’m not surprised that this happened in tennis,” he said.

Bjorn Borg and CNN's Pat Cash
Bjorn Borg and CNN's Pat Cash
Sophie Eastaugh/CNN

One sport mired in doping allegations is athletics. Last week it emerged the FBI and federal prosecutors are investigating allegations of widespread doping by Russian athletes.

“When it comes up it’s always a big question mark. But I think it’s good; I know that they check the players regularly,” added Borg, referring to tennis’ anti-doping program.

“All these question marks, they have to solve those, but I think tennis is one of the cleanest sports anyway.”

‘It’s good it came up’

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Related video What do Maria Sharapova's chocolates taste like?

Widely considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Borg said these issues offered the sport an opportunity to look at its regulatory policies.

“We want to protect our sport,” he said. “We love our sport, so we want it to be clean. In one way it’s good it came up so they can solve the problems [that] are in the sport right now.”

Andy Murray edges Radek Stepanek in French Open

Borg dominated tennis during the 1970s, winning five consecutive Wimbledon championships and six French Opens before retiring at the age of 26. Now 59, he spoke to fellow Wimbledon champion Pat Cash in Stockholm for CNN Open Court, due to air in June.

Visit CNN’s Open Court page for more tennis news

Andy Murray had quite a mane back in 2008, as evidenced by this image of him competing at the Australian Open that year.
Andy Murray had quite a mane back in 2008, as evidenced by this image of him competing at the Australian Open that year.
PAUL CROCK/AFP/Getty Images/file
Pictured here in 1998 tennis legend Andre Agassi rocked long hair for many years. In his autobiography "Open" the star wrote that his long hairdo during the 1990s was actually a wig.
Pictured here in 1998 tennis legend Andre Agassi rocked long hair for many years. In his autobiography "Open" the star wrote that his long hairdo during the 1990s was actually a wig.
Bongarts/Getty Images/file
Eight years later he waved to the crowd after his last Wimbledon appearance -- losing to the up-and-coming Rafael Nadal.
Eight years later he waved to the crowd after his last Wimbledon appearance -- losing to the up-and-coming Rafael Nadal.
Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images/file
Australia's rising star Nick Kyrgios likes to keep his hair short too -- with a snazzy twist.
Australia's rising star Nick Kyrgios likes to keep his hair short too -- with a snazzy twist.
GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images/file
For Dustin Brown, dreadlocks are the way to go -- the German is pictured here at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships.
For Dustin Brown, dreadlocks are the way to go -- the German is pictured here at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships.
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images/file
A young Boris Becker sporting a floppy fringe. In 1985, the German became the youngest-ever Wimbledon men's singles champion, aged just 17 years old.
A young Boris Becker sporting a floppy fringe. In 1985, the German became the youngest-ever Wimbledon men's singles champion, aged just 17 years old.
T. G. Higgins /Allsport
As Becker's career progressed, so did his hairstyles.
As Becker's career progressed, so did his hairstyles.
Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images/file
Back in 2002, Roger Federer liked the ponytail look but has since opted for shorter locks.
Back in 2002, Roger Federer liked the ponytail look but has since opted for shorter locks.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/file
Five-time Wimbledon champion Bjorn Borg was so talented he even made the mullet look cool.
Five-time Wimbledon champion Bjorn Borg was so talented he even made the mullet look cool.
AFP/Getty Images
The Swede's great rival John McEnroe could have perhaps applied his most famous phrase -- "you cannot be serious" -- to his hairstyles when he was a player.
The Swede's great rival John McEnroe could have perhaps applied his most famous phrase -- "you cannot be serious" -- to his hairstyles when he was a player.
tony duffy/getty images/file
Tennis' hairdos and dont's