‘F*** cancer’: Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, 66, announces she is cancer-free after battling throat and breast cancer since January
- Martina Navratilova was diagnosed with throat cancer, and then with breast cancer
- In March, she felt well enough to return to her television job at the Tennis Channel
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Martina Navratilova says she is cancer free.
The Tennis Hall of Famer announced the news Monday on Twitter after saying it had been a full day of testing at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
“Thank you to all the doctors, nurses, proton and ray magicians etc – what a relief,” she wrote.
Navratilova, 66, also added “fucking cancer” in the post.
She announced that she was diagnosed with throat cancer and breast cancer in January and will start treatment this month.
Martina Navratilova announced on Twitter that she was cancer-free after tests in New York
The Tennis Hall of Famer announced the news on Twitter Monday, writing “f*** cancer”
In 2010, she was diagnosed with a noninvasive form of breast cancer and underwent a lumpectomy.
The 18-time Grand Slam singles winner noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck in November and a biopsy revealed that she had early stage throat cancer.
But Navratilova felt good enough to return to her TV work at the Tennis Channel at the Miami Open in March.
At the Italian Open in May, she spoke about her battle with the disease as she accepted the Racchetta d’Oro (Golden Racquet) award for services to the sport.
“I’ve had a very difficult year, but I’m fine now,” Navratilova said at the time.
The 66-year-old said in January her prognosis was good after noticing an enlarged lymph node in her neck at the WTA Finals in Texas last November.
A biopsy showed results of early-stage throat cancer.
While Navratilova was undergoing tests on her neck, the unrelated early-stage breast cancer was discovered, she said.
Navratilova returned to work as a TV analyst at the Tennis Channel in March, when she said in an interview with TalkTV’s Piers Morgan that she had been told by doctors, “As far as they know, I’m cancer-free,” and she was after one additional radiation treatment, it should be “ready for use”.
Navratilova has been back in public life since March with her return to the Tennis Channel
In May, Navratilova said she was “fine” during a ceremony at the Italian Open
Overall, she won 59 Grand Slam titles, 31 in women’s doubles and 10 in mixed doubles.
The most recent was a mixed doubles championship with Bob Bryan at the 2006 US Open, a month before her 50th birthday.
Navratilova originally retired in 1994 after a record 167 singles titles and 331 weeks at No. 1 WTA rankings.
In 2000, she returned to the tour to play doubles and occasionally competed in singles as well.