Tennis pro Martina Navratilova ‘cancer free’ after fearing she would not see next Christmas

Tennis pro Martina Navratilova has revealed she is now “cancer free” after her diagnosis had left her fearing she “may not see next Christmas”.

The former world number one announced in January she had been diagnosed with early stage throat and breast cancer after noticing a lymph node in her neck during the WTA finals in Fort Worth in 2022.

The 66-year-old is due to undergo further preventative radiation treatment, but revealed in an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV she should then “be good to go”.

She said that having nursing staff play songs by Sir Elton John while she was in chemotherapy had helped get her through the treatment.

“You pick your music that you want to listen to,” she said, in quotes reported by The Sun.

“One time I picked Elton John and then he starts singing I’m Still Standing, which he dedicated to me at a concert in Paris during the French Open in the eighties.”

She added: “As far as they know I’m cancer free.”

During her TalkTV interview, set to be aired on Tuesday, Martina revealed her cancer diagnosis had left her fearing the worst.

“I was in a total panic for three days thinking I may not see next Christmas,” she said. “The bucket list came into my mind of all the things I wanted to do.”

Martina, who previously underwent treatment for early-stage breast cancer in 2010, went to the doctor after noticing an enlarged lymph node in her neck, with tests subsequently confirming cancer.

She added: “This was the first week in December, (I’m thinking) I will see this Christmas but maybe not the next one.”

However, doctors were able to tell her the cancer was “extremely treatable” and she had a “95 per cent” chance of a full recovery.

Martina is the winner of 59 grand slam singles and doubles titles, and has also appeared in several reality television shows.

In 2008 she appeared on the eighth series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, finishing as runner-up to Joe Swash.

She later took part in the 14th season of US network ABC’s Dancing with the Stars in 2012, though she and dancing partner Tony Dovolani were the first pair to be eliminated.

And more recently she turned to acting, appearing in Netflix's The Politician alongside Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow.

READ NEXT:

  • Click here for today's top showbiz news

  • The Chase star Mark Labbett shows off body transformation in new pouting selfie

  • New TOWIE romance as Harry Derbidge and Junaid Ahmed 'get together during Thailand filming'

  • EastEnders spoilers see Keanu propose to Sharon amid Christmas wedding twist

  • For the latest showbiz exclusives, sign up to our daily OK! Newsletter

Source: Read Full Article