LONDON (AFP) -- Sweden's Bjorn Borg, the only player to win five consecutive Wimbledon men's singles titles in the modern era, is to auction the trophies and the wooden racquet from his most famous match.

"The Iceman", famous for his headband, flowing locks and steely nerve on court, was putting the silver gilt trophies up for sale, and the racquet with which he beat U.S. star John McEnroe in the 1980 final.

The trophies, from the championships between 1976 and 1980, are expected to sell for between 200,000 and 300,000 pounds (291,000-437,000 euros, 350,000-525,000 dollars), London auction house Bonhams said.

The 1980 final racquet, plus the one Borg used to defeat Ilie Nastase of Romania in the 1976 final that started his spell of Wimbledon domination, are expected to fetch 10,000-15,000 pounds.

They will go under the hammer on June 21.

Borg, 49, said: "Obviously it is not easy to part with the trophies that symbolize all the tremendous effort, both physically and emotionally that it took to win Wimbledon on five occasions.

"However, I do need to have some long-term financial security for those close to me and now believe that the time is right for the trophies and racquets to pass to either a tennis collector or a suitable institution where they can be appreciated by a wider number of people. "Even though the symbols of my victories are being sold, what I will always retain is the knowledge that for such a long period I was the supreme world tennis champion."

It is thought to be the first time a Wimbledon champion has put the treasured prize up for auction.

Jon Baddeley, from Bonhams, added: "The Wimbledon Championship is the ultimate tennis competition. Bjorn Borg was arguably the Supreme Tennis Player of the 20th Century. "This unique collection of trophies is without doubt the most important group of tennis memorabilia ever to have been offered at auction."

Borg won 11 Grand Slam titles between 1973 and 1981. After retiring, he went on to lose money to a number of business ventures and divorces.

His 1980 clash with McEnroe has been seen by many to be one of tennis' greatest games after a nail-biting fourth-set tiebreak went to 18-16 before Borg took the fifth set.