Tennis great Martina Navratilova fights two types of cancer

In
a
statement
released
Monday
(January
2),
the
tennis
legend
said
her
prognosis
was
good,
and
she
would
start
treatment
this
month.

“This
double
whammy
is
serious
but
still
fixable,
and
I’m
hoping
for
a
favorable
outcome,”
the
66-year-old
Navratilova
said.

“It’s
going
to
stink
for
a
while,
but
I’ll
fight
with
all
have
I
got.”

The
cancer
was
discovered
in
early
November
during
the
WTA
finals
when
Navratilova
noticed
a
swelling
in
her
neck
that
did
not
go
down
and
had
biopsies
performed.

Navratilova
battled
cancer
before

Navratilova
underwent
treatment
for
breast
cancer
in
2010
and
was
later
declared
cancer-free.

She
originally
retired
from
tennis
in
1994
but
later
returned
to
the
tour
to
play
doubles
in
2000
and
occasionally
competed
in
singles.
She
won
59
Grand
Slam
titles
overall,
including
31
in
women’s
doubles
and
10
in
mixed
doubles.

More
recently,
she
worked
as
a
television
analyst.

Because
of
her
latest
diagnosis,
she
would
not
be
a
regular
part
of
Tennis
Channel’s
coverage
of
the
Australian
Open
but
would
appear
from
time
to
time
remotely.

Fellow
tennis
star
take
to
social
media
to
offer
support

Navratilova
took
to
Twitter
to
“thank
you
all
for
your
support,
and
I
am
not
done
yet,” she
tweeted
Monday.

Needless
to
say
my
phone
and
twitter
are
both
blowing
up
so
I
will
say
again-
thank
you
all
for
your
support
and
I
am
not
done
yet:)
Xoxoxo

—
Martina
Navratilova
(@Martina)

January
2,
2023

Among
her
well-wishers
was
another
tennis
trailblazer
Billie
Jean
King.

“Martina
is
as
brave
as
she
is
strong,” King
wrote
on
Twitter.
“She
has
fought
this
battle
before,
and
she
is
in
our
thoughts
and
prayers.”

Chris
Evert,
Navratilova’s
great
rival
on
the
courts
who
became
her
friend,
revealed
in
January
2022
that
she
had
ovarian
cancer
but
was
declared
to
be
in
remission
in
May.

She
wrote
on
Twitter
that
Navratilova
“is
a
woman
who
takes
on
challenges
with
strength
and
resilience…You
got
this,
Martina!”

Thinking
of

@Martina
today
and
supporting
her
journey,
like
she
did
mine,
with
love
and
prayers.
This
is
a
woman
who
takes
on
challenges
with
strength
and
resilience…You
got
this,
Martina!❤️

—
Chris
Evert
(@ChrissieEvert)

January
2,
2023

lo/sri
(AP,
Reuters)

Source:

DW