Former tennis star Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with early stages of larynx and breast cancer.
This was announced by the 66-year-old Czech, who also has US citizenship. A swollen lymph node prompted her to take tests.
“This double whammy is serious but still fixable and I’m hoping for a favorable outcome,” Navratilova said in a statement. It will be miserable for a while, “but I will fight with all my might,” announced the 18-time Grand Slam tournament winner.
A spokeswoman for the tennis icon pointed to the doctors’ good forecasts. Navratilova wants to start cancer treatment in New York as early as next week.
In 2010, she was diagnosed with non-invasive breast cancer, and after six months of treatment, the former world number one was considered cancer-free.
No trip to the Australian Open
At that time she “screamed for about 15 seconds” and then asked the doctor: “Okay, what can we do, what’s the next step?” Navratilova once said.
Because of her illness, the tennis expert will not travel to the Australian Open, which begins in two weeks.
However, Navratilova said she hopes to occasionally be able to express her assessment of sporting events via video link.