Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with breast and throat cancer.
It is not the first time the 18-times Grand Slam singles champion has been diagnosed with cancer — in 2010 she had breast cancer but was assessed as being clear six months later.
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“The double whammy is serious, but fixable, and I’m hoping for a favourable outcome,” she said. “It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I have got.”
Navratilova noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck during November’s WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.
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“When it didn’t go down, a biopsy was performed, the results came back as stage one throat cancer,” her agent told AFP.
During the tests, a lump was also discovered in her breast, which was later diagnosed as an unrelated cancer.
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“The prognosis is good and Martina will start her treatment this month,” said her agent.
“The cancer type is HPV (human papillomavirus) and this particular type responds really well to treatment. Both these cancers are in their early stages with great outcomes.”
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Navratilova, 66, is regarded as one of the greatest players in tennis history.
Her powerful serve and agility at the net made her the dominant payer of her era.
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She picked up a total of 59 Major titles — 31 doubles and 10 mixed doubles adding to her 18 singles titles.
Her record at Wimbledon is unparalleled, her nine singles titles more than anyone else – Roger Federer won eight men’s titles while Serena Williams won the women’s title seven times.
