Tennis Legend Martina Navratilova Diagnosed With Two Forms of Cancer

By Brian Jones

One of the greatest tennis players of all time is dealing with some serious health issues. It was recently announced that Martina Navratilova is battling throat cancer and breast cancer. Navratilova is staying optimistic and is ready to fight both. 

"This double whammy is serious but still fixable," said the 66-year-old in a statement, to the WTA Tour. "I'm hoping for a favorable outcome.  It's going to stink for a while, but I'll fight with all have I got." In November, Navratilova discovered an enlarged lymph node in her neck during the WTA Finals. After testing, it was determined that she has Stage 1 throat cancer and later Stage 1 breast cancer. The cancer type is human papillomavirus (HPV) which is one of the more treatable cancers. Navratilova has battled breast cancer before as she was diagnosed in 2010. She was deemed cancer-free six months later after radiation treatment. Navratilova will not work the Australian Open for the Tennis Channel but is hoping to make Zoom appearances in the foreseeable future. 

Navratilova won a total of 59 grand slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions in her career. From 1983 to 1984, Navratilova won six consecutive singles majors and posted a record of 98-1 in 1983. Navratilova won most of her singles grand slam championships at Wimbledon, winning the tournament nine times. She also won the Wimbledon doubles title seven times and the mixed doubles title four times. Navratilova was ranked No.1 in the world for 332 weeks, the second most in history. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000. 

In an interview with The Guardian, Navratilova talked about the rivalries she had during her career. "Chris [Evert] and I, that's a rivalry for the ages in terms of longevity," she said. "The women fluctuate a lot more with their ability, and that means you don't get the rivalry because they don't play one another enough at the top of the game, and you need that. In tennis, you are only as good as the ball you are hitting – you can't hit great shots unless you are forced to hit great shots, so you need those rivalries. Hopefully, we are heading that way again."

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