Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with throat and breast cancer.
Later this month, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, who was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, will begin treatment in New York.
Both malignancies, according to 66-year-old Navratilova, were discovered at an early stage.
“The double whammy is serious, but fixable, and I’m hoping for a favourable outcome,” she said. “It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I have got.”
According to CNN, Navratilova discovered a swollen lymph node in her neck while competing in the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in November.
Following a biopsy, stage 1 throat cancer was discovered. A lump in her breast was also found during the testing, and it was later determined to be unrelated to cancer.
“Both of these cancers are in their early stages with great outcomes,” Navratilova’s representative Mary Greenham added.
Navratilova was scheduled to broadcast from the Tennis Channel studio in Melbourne to cover the Australian Open this month, but she will instead make sporadic remote appearances.
The nine-time Wimbledon singles winner admitted that she felt “helpless” following her cancer diagnosis in 2010, but she made the decision to share the news in order to support other women going through comparable medical issues.
