'I’ll fight with all I got': Tennis legend Martina Navratilova diagnosed with throat and breast cancer
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has been reportedly diagnosed with early-stage throat and breast cancer, according to her announcement on January 2. The 66-year-old player revealed that she had been diagnosed with the two forms of cancer after she discovered a lump on her neck two months ago.
In November, Navratilova who is married to Julia Lemigova, 50, the former Russian beauty queen, said that she found an enlarged lymph node in the backside of her neck. Shockingly, after going through several tests, she got to know about "some unrelated cancer" in her breast, according to Daily Mail.
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“This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I’m hoping for a favorable outcome. It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I got,” read a statement by the tennis legend, reports the Daily Mail.
Describing her prognosis as "good", the statement read "Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with stage one throat cancer. The prognosis is good and Martina will start her treatment this month."
"The cancer type is HPV and this particular type responds really 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 performed, and 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," continued the statement.
Navratilova who was intending to work as the Australian Open's commentator will not be traveling to the event this month. "Both these cancers are in their early stages with great outcomes. Martina won't be covering the Australian Open for Tennis Channel from their studio but hopes to be able to join in from time to time by Zoom."
Navratilova a "cancer surviror"
In 2010, the Wimbledon winner for a record nine times previously underwent radiation treatment for early-stage breast cancer. The player, in an interview with TODAY in 2022 said that: "I was so shocked that there was anything going on with my body. But you can be the healthiest person on the planet and still get cancer. You are definitely improving the odds by being healthy, but you’re not totally eliminating the possibility.”
The star player is again battling with the same life-threatening disease she had 13 years ago. Navratilova who had 40 years of an illustrious career in tennis retired from her profession after the U.S. Open in 2006 during a mixed-doubles championship with Bob Bryan at her final Grand Slam. She has since become a commentator in tennis and has been a part of the Wimbledon coverage for BBC.