Tennis icon survives cancer drama
Steffi Graf – a world star made in Germany
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has once again recovered from a serious illness. Last fall, she received a double cancer diagnosis.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has overcome cancer once again.
“As far as you know, I’m cancer-free,” said the 66-year-old in an interview with British presenter Piers Morgan about the doctors’ assessment.
Martina Navratilova had throat and breast cancer
The 66-year-old called the treatment “definitely the most difficult thing I’ve ever done”. Although she will have to undergo radiation treatment on her right breast for a few more weeks, this is more of a preventative nature.
The long-time number one and 18-time Grand Slam winner in singles published the renewed illness in early January. (DATA CENTER: The Tournament Calendar of the WTA)
According to this, the former rival of the German player of the century Steffi Graf was diagnosed with early-stage larynx and breast cancer in November. At that time she had explained that the double disease was “serious but still curable”.
Martina Navratilova (right) with her partner Julia Lemigova
The stroke of fate also hit her family: Navratilova explained in an interview with Morgan that she had postponed the plan to adopt a child with her partner Julia Lemigova. She herself would have feared “not to experience the next Christmas”. Meanwhile, Navratilova, who has always been known to be sharp-tongued, can even approach the disease with black humor: “Who has two types of cancer at the same time? I was always ambitious, but that’s when it got silly.”
Fate did not hit Navratilova for the first time
Navratilova’s fighting spirit is well known: she has won a total of 59 Grand Slam titles – in singles, doubles and mixed. She holds numerous records, including most tournament wins in singles and doubles (359), most Wimbledon wins (9), longest winning streak in singles (74) and doubles (109 with Pam Shriver).
Navratilova has not dealt with the fate of cancer for the first time: in 2010 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, in 2017 she lost her good friend Jana Novotna, who – as Navratilova emphasized several times – had been a valuable support during her first illness .
Chris Evert – another old rival and personal confidant – had revealed and recovered from ovarian cancer last year, and the two legends supported each other.
With Sports Information Service (SID)
