Tennis great Martina Navratilova says she’s “all clear” after successful cancer treatment.
“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,” she tweeted Monday.
The 66-year-old former champion, who won 59 Grand Slam singles and doubles titles titles during her decorated career, announced she had been diagnosed with Stage 1 throat cancer and early-stage breast cancer in January and would start treatment that month.
“This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I’m hoping for a favorable outcome,” she said at the time. “It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all [I’ve] got.”
During a TV appearance in March, Navratilova said she was cancer-free.
“What was the alternative? Giving up? Giving in? Stopping?” she said. “That’s just not an option for me … quitting is just not in my DNA.”
Later that month, Navratilova was back on TV covering the Miami Open for The Tennis Channel.
The hall of famer was also diagnosed with non-invasive breast cancer in 2010 and announced she was cancer-free after undergoing a lumpectomy and radiation therapy.
Navratilova retired from competitive singles play in 1994 with a stunning 167 tournament wins and 331 weeks at No. 1 in the WTA rankings. She retired from doubles play after winning mixed doubles at the U.S. Open in 2006 at the age of 49.