Tennis great Martina Navratilova said Tuesday that she is “all clear” after undergoing treatments for throat and breast cancer.
“After a day full of tests at Sloan Kettering, I got the all clear! Thank you to all the doctors, nurses, proton and radiation magicians etc- what a relief:) #byebyecancer and yes, #f*ckcancer !!!” Navratilova tweeted.
The tennis hall of famer, who won 59 grand slam singles and doubles titles over the course of her illustrious career, disclosed in January that she was undergoing treatment after doctors discovered cancer in her throat and breast – something she described as a “double whammy” that was “serious but still fixable.”
Navratilova, who was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, spoke of her determination after receiving her double diagnosis.
“What was the alternative? Giving up? Giving in? Stopping?” she said in March. “That’s just not an option for me … quitting is just not in my DNA.”
The 66-year-old Navratilova shared in an interview in March that her “prognosis is excellent.”
Navratilova enjoyed a long playing career in which she won 18 grand slam singles titles, 31 grand slam doubles titles and 10 grand slam mixed doubles titles. She still holds the WTA Tour’s all-time record of 167 titles.
After retiring from singles in 1994 at the age of 38, she continued playing doubles – and winning titles – into her 40s.
She has remained involved in the sport as a coach, broadcaster, and ambassador for the WTA Tour, highlighting the importance of preventive checkups to combat specific diseases such as breast cancer.