Tennis has seen its share of maladies and setbacks. A young Vitas Gerulaitis died in a Long Island pool house, the victim of a poisonous carbon monoxide gas leak. Little Mo Connolly — the first woman to win a calendar-year Slam — died of stomach cancer at the age of 34. Monica Seles was stabbed in the back in the prime of her career. After two rounds of heart surgery, Arthur Ashe contracted HIV and died in 1993. Rocket Rod Laver suffered a stroke in 1998 during an interview with ESPN. And more recently, Corina Morariu was stricken with leukemia, then battled back and returned to the court.
But how ironic now to see nine-time Wimbledon champ Martina Navratilova, arguably the greatest player the women’s game has ever seen and a pioneering athlete who took fitness to new heights, was diagnosed with breast cancer during a routine mammogram in January.
The 53-year-old Czech-American, who will begin radiation treatments for her non-invasive form of breast cancer in May, told People magazine, “I feel so in control of my life and my body, and then this comes, and it’s completely out of your hands.”
The Hall of Famer, who finished with 18 singles and 41 doubles Slam titles, reportedly underwent a lumpectomy to remove cancerous tissue on March 15 and plans to continue her on-air duties with The Tennis Channel at Roland Garros. She is expected to make a full recovery.
