Martina Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam titles (Picture: PA)
Wimbledon legend Martina Navratilova has vowed to ‘fight with all I’ve got’ after being diagnosed with throat and breast cancer.
Navratilova, 66, says she was diagnosed after discovering a swollen lymph node in her neck in November.
The Czech-American star is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, having won Wimbledon a record nine times and finishing her career with 18 Grand Slam titles.
‘This double whammy is serious but still fixable,’ she told The Times. ‘ I’m hoping for a favourable outcome. It’s going to stink for a while but I’ll fight with all I have got.’
Navratilova was given the all-clear from breast cancer in 2010 after undergoing surgery and six-weeks of radiation treatment.
The former world number one was due to work at the Australian Open this month as a TV pundit but will no longer travel to Melbourne as she begins treatment.
A statement from her representative said: ‘Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with stage one throat cancer. 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. Martina won’t be covering the Australian Open for Tennis Channel from their studio but hopes to be able to join in from time to time by Zoom.’
Navratilova dominated women’s tennis in the 1980s, winning nine Wimbledon titles and also enjoying multiple triumphs at the US, Australian and French Grand Slams.
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The 66-year-old won 18 Grand Slam titles.