Martina Navratilova, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, is “cancer-free”, she said on the upcoming March 21 episode of Piers Morgan‘s TalkTV show, per the Daily Mail. “As far as they know I’m cancer-free,” the 66-year-old former pro athlete and wife of The Real Housewives of Miami star Julia Lemigova, revealed. She added that she is undergoing preventative radiation over the next two weeks, but “should be good to go”. Martina, who announced her diagnosis of both breast and throat cancer on Jan. 2, said she didn’t think she would see next Christmas upon learning about her double diagnosis.
“This double whammy is serious but still fixable,” Martina told TENNIS.com in her Jan. 2 interview. “I’m hoping for a favorable outcome. It’s going to stink for a while but I’ll fight with all I have got.”
“Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with stage one throat cancer. The prognosis is good and Martina will start her treatment this month,” Martina’s rep told the Daily Mail on Jan. 5. “The cancer type is HPV and this particular type responds really well to treatment. Martina noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck during the WTA finals in Fort Worth. When it didn’t go down, a biopsy was performed, the results came back as stage one throat cancer.”
“At the same time as Martina was undergoing the tests for the throat, a suspicious form was found in her breast, which was subsequently diagnosed as cancer, completely unrelated to the throat cancer,” they continued. “Both these cancers are in their early stages with great outcomes. Martina won’t be covering the Australian Open for Tennis Channel from their studio but hopes to be able to join in from time to time by Zoom.”
Martina and Julia previously revealed they paused plans to adopt a child following Martina’s diagnosis. “When you’re adopting a child, it has to be about the child. And right now it’s everything about Martina and for her getting healthy. We’re putting it on hold,” Julia, 50, explained on the second part of the Real Housewives of Miami reunion.
Martina also beat breast cancer in 2010. “I really didn’t talk much about breast cancer before I had it,” Navratilova told PEOPLE as she discussed her successful treatment. “Now, I’m approached by women and we share our stories. It’s encouraging to see that there’s life after cancer.”
The Czech Republic-born tennis star holds 59-time Grand Slam champion titles across singles, doubles, and mixed events and was ranked No. 1 in her home country and the world for several years. Her last tournament was the 2006 US Open.