"Double whammy": Tennis legend's devastating diagnosis
Martina Navratilova has been left devastated after being diagnosed with two forms of cancer.
The tennis legend confirmed her health news on Monday, saying she has been diagnosed with both throat and breast cancer, which were discovered in the early stages.
“This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I’m hoping for a favourable outcome,” Navratilova, 66, said in a statement.
“It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I have got.”
The cancer was discovered in early November 2022 during the WTA finals when Navratilova noticed a swelling in her neck that did not go down.
"Martina noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck during the WTA finals in Forth Worth," Navratilova's representative Mary Greenham said.
"When it didn't go 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 commentator, will not travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open in late January, but hopes to contribute to the broadcasts remotely.
The Czech-American is considered among one the greatest players of all time, winning a total of 59 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles.
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