Martina Navratilova got emotional as she opened up about her cancer battle and how she got through such a devastating time (Picture: Talk TV/Getty)
Martina Navratilova has opened up about her journey to becoming ‘cancer-free’ and revealed she underwent chemotherapy in the exact same place tennis rival Chris Evert did earlier in the year.
In December Martina, 66, noticed an enlarged lymph node and a month later she announced her double diagnosis of having both throat and breast cancer.
The Wimbledon champion thought she wouldn’t see another two Christmas, but this week Martina announced she is now free of the disease.
But her tennis rival Chris was one of the people who got her through it, after battling a cancer diagnosis herself in November 2021.
As fate had it, Martina would end up on the same ward, being treated by the same nurses, and eventually ringing the same bell to mark the end of her treatment, as Chris.
‘The parallels are unbelievable,’ Martina said on tonight’s episode of Piers Morgan: Uncensored, while commenting on the similar paths their lives have taken, from the tennis courts to chemotherapy.
Martina revealed she was in the same ward as tennis rival Chris Evert (Picture: Talk TV)
It’s been a tough few months for Martina, but she is now ‘cancer-free’ (Picture: TalkTV)
And Chris’ support has clearly been invaluable, as Martina said: ‘Chris has been a stalwart, she has supported me so much through all of this.
‘I supported her a year ago, little did I know it was going to be reciprocated in this manner.’
When Martina’s agent rallied her friends to send her songs to boost her spirits in the throes of chemotherapy, Chris sent her Lean On Me by Bill Withers.
Fittingly, the song goes: ‘Lean on me / When you’re not strong / And I’ll be your friend / I’ll help you carry on / For it won’t be long / Till I’m gonna need somebody to lean on’.
Martina and Chris have lived scarily similar lives (Picture: Getty Images)
Martina also revealed she recently put back on a necklace Chris gifted her after she had to remove it for radiotherapy.
The tennis superstar recalled how when Chris got sick she did not take the necklace off once.
‘I was like, “I’m not going to take this off until she gets well”,’ recalled Martina.
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On their relationship, Martina sweetly concluded: ‘We still depended on each other, we made each other better.
‘We were always there for each other no matter what.’
Piers Morgan: Uncensored is on TalkTV every weeknight at 8pm.
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‘We made each other better.’