Martina Navratilova, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, announced Monday that she has been diagnosed with two forms of cancer.
In a statement released by her representative, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame said her prognosis – for throat cancer and breast cancer – was solid.
He will begin treatment this month.
“This is a serious double whammy but it is still fixable, and I hope for a favorable outcome,” said Navratilova.
“It’s going to stink for a while, but I’m going to fight with everything I’ve got.”
Navratilova is 66 years old and has won a total of 59 grand slam titles in her remarkable career.
She previously battled breast cancer in 2010.
The accomplished athlete explained that she noticed a large lymph node in her neck while attending the season-ending WTA finals in Fort Worth, Texas last November.
From there, a biopsy revealed early-stage throat cancer.
When Navratilova underwent tests on her throat, she said, an unrelated breast cancer was also discovered. Just terrible.
Navratilova originally retired in 1994, after a record 167 singles titles and 331 weeks at number one in the WTA rankings.
However, returned to the tour to play doubles in 2000 and occasionally also played singles.
Since this time, Navratilova has remained involved in tennis as a coach, broadcaster, and ambassador for the WTA Tour.
They often emphasize the importance of preventive examinations to fight against certain diseases – such as breast cancer.
Navratilova was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000.
A statement published this week added that Navratilova will not will be a regular part of Tennis Channel’s coverage of the Australian Open later this month.
He “looks forward to participating from time to time” via video conference, the message noted.
We send our best wishes to Martina Navratilova for a full recovery. Pray up.