Martina Navratilova, who is one of the most decorated Grand Slam players in history, will begin treatment in New York later this month after being diagnosed with two different types of cancer.
In a statement issued on Monday, the 18-time Grand Slam champion confirmed that tests have revealed she has two early forms of cancer in both her throat and breast. Navratilova noticed a lump in her throat during the WTA Finals in November and underwent a biopsy which confirmed she has stage 1 throat cancer. Then subsequent tests also found a separate form of the disease in her breast.
“Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with stage one throat cancer,” read the statement. “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, 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.
“Both these cancers are in their early stages with great outcomes.”
It is not the first time Navratilova has battled cancer. In 2010 she was diagnosed with non-invasive breast cancer-ductal carcinoma in situ, known better as DCIS. She was declared cancer-free six months later after undergoing a lumpectomy and six weeks of radiation.
The 66-year-old was once described by Billie Jean King as “the greatest singles, doubles, and mixed doubles player who’s ever lived.” During her career, Navratilova won an incredible 59 Grand Slam titles with 18 of those being in singles, 31 in women’s doubles and 10 in mixed doubles. She is the only player – male or female- to have won Wimbledon nine times. She also holds the all-time record for most Tour titles won in both singles (167) and doubles (177). In 2004 she became the oldest woman in the Open Era to win a singles match at the age of 47 years, and 8 months.
Navratilova was set to cover the upcoming Australian Open from The Tennis Channel studio but will instead make some remote appearances from her home as she begins treatment.
