Sports

‘I’ll fight with all I’ve got’: Tennis great Martina Navratilova’s devastating ‘double whammy’ diagnosis

Elissa Napier
Jan 04, 2023
The tennis great has been diagnosed with both throat and breast cancer. Source: Getty

Tennis legend and former world number one, Martina Navratilova, has been given a “double whammy” diagnosis of throat and breast cancer.

Navratilova’s stunning 59 Grand Slam titles throughout her tennis career in both singles and doubles, as well as her win/loss record of 1442 wins and only 219 losses, have left the athlete as one of the best tennis players in history.

As reported by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the 66-year-old believes she can overcome her diagnosis.

“This double whammy is serious but still fixable,” Navratilova 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’s representative, Mary Greenham, said the sporting icon is hopeful as both cancers are in stage one.

“Martina noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck during the WTA finals in Forth Worth,” Greenham said.

“When it didn’t go down, a biopsy was performed, the results came back as stage one 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.”

It is the second breast cancer diagnosis for the Czech-American, who beat the disease following a diagnosis in 2010.

Navratilova’s current diagnosis’ has led to the athlete pulling out from travelling to Melbourne to cover the January 16–29 Australian Open.

“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,” Greenham said.

Fans of the tennis great flooded social media with messages of support.

Navratilova thanked everyone for their messages on social media, promising she’s “not done yet”.

“Needless to say my phone and twitter are both blowing up so I will say again- thank you all for your support and I am not done yet,” she wrote on Twitter.

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