Tennis star Martina diagnosed with throat and breast cancer
Tennis star Martina diagnosed with throat and breast cancer. Martina Navratilova, a former tennis player and pioneer in the gay rights movement, revealed on Monday that she has been diagnosed with breast and throat cancer.
With 59 Grand Slam championships in singles and doubles, the Czech-American is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
“This double whammy is serious but still fixable,” the 66-year-old said in a statement to WTA.
“I’m hoping for a favourable outcome. It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I have got.”
Navratilova, a Czech-born American citizen in 1981, who came out as gay , was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 but overcame it.
The cancer was Stage 1, according to Navratilova, and therapy would start the following week.
When Martina Navratilova noticed a bulge in her neck that did not go away during the WTA finals in early November, it turned out to be cancer.
“Martina noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck during the WTA finals in Forth Worth,” said Navratilova’s representative Mary Greenham. “When it didn’t do down, a biopsy was performed, the results came back as Stage 1 throat cancer.
“At the same time as Martina was undergoing the tests for the throat, a suspicious form was found in her breast, which was subsequently diagnosed as cancer, completely unrelated to the throat cancer.
“Both of these cancers are in their early stages with great outcomes.”
Greenham said that Navratilova, who now works as tennis presenter on television and radio, will not travel to Melbourne for the Jan. 16-29 Australian Open but hopes to contribute to the broadcasts remotely.
“Martina won’t be covering the Aussie Open for the Tennis Channel from their studio but hopes to join in from time to time by Zoom,” said Greenham.
Tenniste nj fans quickly took to social media offering support, including another tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King.
“@Martina is as brave as she is strong,” posted King on Twitter. “She has fought this battle before, and she is in our thoughts and prayers
