By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, January 2, 2023
Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova announced she has been diagnosed with both throat cancer and breast cancer, vowing "I'll fight with all I have got."
Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova shared heartbreaking news.
The 66-year-old iconic champion has been diagnosed with both throat cancer and breast cancer.
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The former world No. 1 said she is battling stage 1 throat and breast cancer vowing "I'll fight with all I have got."
Navratilova will begin undergoing treatment shortly in New York City. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan is regarded as one of the nation's top cancer treatment centers.
“This double whammy is serious but still fixable,” Navratilova said in a statement. “I’m hoping for a favorable outcome.
"It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I have got.”
The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion has already beaten cancer once and shared her experience of how battling breast cancer changed her perception of time.
"You realize your life can change in a nano-second, so that seize the day thing definitely applies," Navratilova said. "I'm always very good at dealing with reality and getting on with it, not worrying about too many possibilities.
"Just what is now? Let's deal with it."
Working the WTA Finals in Forth Worth, Texas last November, Navratilova detected an enlarged lymph node in her neck and underwent testing. Her doctors discovered Stage 1 throat cancer and later Stage 1 breast cancer.
"Specifically, it is human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the more treatable cancers," according to the statement.
The WTA reports Navratilova won't be working her customary role as analyst for Tennis Channel's upcoming Australian Open coverage though she does hope to make some Zoom appearances on TC in the future.