Tennis player Martina Navratilova has great news: “I have beaten cancer after fearing the worst”

The living legend of tennis Martina Navratilova (Prague, Czechoslovakia, October 18, 1956) he played until he was 50 years old, after maintaining a professional activity of 32. She is the most successful tennis player in Wimbledon singles in all of history and she has just given us great news: “I have beaten cancer after fearing the worst”, has shared the Czech nationalized American after overcoming the diagnosis of throat and breast cancer.

The 18-time Grand Slam winner, 66, says that as far as her doctor knows, she is “cancer free” and should be “ready to go” after receiving one more preventative radiation to her breast. “It’s definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Who has two cancers at the same time?” He comes to joke in a preview of the interview he has given to the presenter Piers Morgan and which is broadcast this Tuesday in the United Kingdom.

“I’ve had ups and downs. I found out I had throat cancer, I thought I might be dying but then I found out no, it’s very treatable,” says the former tennis player. “Then they detected cancer in the right breast, and when they did the biopsy the doctor said she didn’t look very good,” she recounted. “Then I was like, ‘Oh great, I have another cancer and that’s when I started crying,” admits the tennis legend. Below Martina Navratilova poses with Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens at the WTA Finals.

The support of his wife, essential

His wife, Julia Lemigova, has been at his side at all times, and has played an essential role in Martina’s recovery. They married in 2014. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out to share words of support. Together, we will fight this,” Lemigova wrote on Instagram after Navratilova went public with her health issues in January.

Martina Navratilova, one of the greatest athletes in history, has been diagnosed with Stage 1 throat cancer.

In addition, an unrelated form of breast cancer was discovered during exams. Both cancers are in their early stages with great outcomes.

Thinking of you, @Martina ??

— TENNIS (@Tennis) January 2, 2023

The tennis player was diagnosed with throat cancer and in the subsequent exams she underwent, the doctors detected breast cancer. The former world number 1 assured in January when she revealed her illness that she was going to “fight” with everything she had to overcome these “two blows”. .

It was earlier this year that the 66-year-old tennis legend, who was scheduled to travel to Australia to commentate on the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, warned of what was happening to him. “This double whammy is serious but it can still be solved and I hope for a favorable result,” said the star of women’s tennis. “I’m going to fight with everything I have,” said the 1994 Princess of Asturias Award winner for Sports. Martina already underwent treatment for early-stage breast cancer in 2010.

The tennis player was initially diagnosed with stage 1 throat cancer. In the medical examinations that were carried out later, they detected a second tumor, this one of the breast, unrelated to the previous one. It is what is known as synchronous tumors and they are very rare.

“The type of cancer is HPV and this particular type responds very well to treatment. Martina noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck during the WTA Finals in Fort Worth. When it didn’t go down, a biopsy was done and the results came back as stage one throat cancer,” said his representation agency. “At the same time that Martina was having throat exams, a suspicious form was found in her breast, which was later diagnosed as cancer, completely unrelated to throat cancer.”

Sending strength and hope, @Martina. You’ve always been a true fighter, overcoming many challenges, and this time won’t be any different. My thoughts are with you.

— Carla Suarez Navarro (@CarlaSuarezNava) January 2, 2023

Numerous athletes from all over the world showed their affection for Martina Navratilova from the first moment. Among them, Carla Suárez. The Spanish tennis player who recently overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma and wanted to encourage the American.

Martina Navratilova He has achieved 59 Grand Slam titles during his sports career, including 18 singles. In addition, she was playing professionally until she was 50 years old, she has been one of the longest-lived and most admired athletes of all time.