Tennis Legend Martina Navratilova Vows to Fight Cancer with All She’s Got
Tennis great Martina Navratilova has recently been diagnosed with both stage one throat and breast cancer, according to her agent. In a statement on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) website, Navratilova, 66, described the diagnosis as a “double whammy” but added that it is “serious but still fixable” and that she is hoping for a favorable outcome. Navratilova, who won 59 grand slam titles in her career, has already battled breast cancer in 2010. The latest prognosis is said to be good, and Navratilova will begin treatment this month.
Navratilova’s agent, Mary Greenham, stated that the tennis legend discovered an enlarged lymph node in her neck during the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, which led to a biopsy and the throat cancer diagnosis. When Navratilova was undergoing throat tests, a suspicious form was found in her breast, which was later diagnosed as cancer. Greenham said that both cancers are in the early stages with good outcomes.
Navratilova enjoyed a long and successful playing career, winning 18 grand slam singles titles, 31 grand slam doubles titles, and 10 grand slam mixed doubles titles. She holds the WTA Tour’s all-time record of 167 titles. After retiring from singles in 1994 at the age of 38, Navratilova continued playing doubles and winning titles into her 40s. She has remained involved in the sport as a coach, broadcaster, and ambassador for the WTA Tour, and has highlighted the importance of preventive checkups to combat specific diseases such as breast cancer.
Navratilova has faced a number of health challenges throughout her life. In September 1982, an acute attack of toxoplasmosis contributed to her defeat in the United States Open tennis tournament. In 1985, Navratilova began wearing glasses due to deteriorating vision. On April 7, 2010, she announced that she was being treated for breast cancer, and in December 2010, she was hospitalized after developing high altitude pulmonary edema while attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Despite these challenges, Navratilova has remained a formidable and determined athlete. In her statement on the WTA website, she said that she will “fight with all [she’s] got” in the face of her recent cancer diagnosis. Navratilova was originally scheduled to cover the upcoming Australian Open from the Tennis Channel studio but will now join occasionally via Zoom, according to Greenham.
