Martina Navratilova was respected for her tenacity and determination while actively playing tennis. Unfortunately, she had no idea that an even greater struggle lay ahead in the years to come. In 2010, four years after retiring, Navratilova found that she was suffering from Ductal Carcinoma in situ.?
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The illness unquestionably disrupted her life. However, Navratilova was careful not to allow the gravity of the situation to consume her. The Czech-American icon brought her game toughness to life as she fought against cancer. Fast forward 12 years, the 18-time Grand Slam winner has beaten cancer and advocates for better breast cancer awareness and prevention. In a recent interview, Navratilova stressed the importance of putting one’s health first.
Martina Navratilova with a powerful message for women
The 66-year-old Navratilova is a prominent early cancer detection advocate who has repeatedly spoken about the significance of frequent screenings. She shared her experience fighting breast cancer to raise people’s consciousness about the ailment.
In one of her recent interviews with Dr. Lipi Roy, the nine-time Wimbledon winner spoke on a wide range of topics, including her battle with breast cancer and the value of mammograms for early detection, as well as women’s roles as caretakers, women’s health, abortion rights, and universal healthcare. She stressed the importance of better self-care by saying, ?Women take care of everybody else, but we don’t take care of ourselves.??
She continued, ?But if your dog needs to have a rabies vaccination, you take him tomorrow, right? ?
Navratilova once posted a heartfelt message for her friend who died of cancer
Earlier, in July 2022, Martina Navratilova tweeted her condolences for the loss of her friend and colleague, Jana Novotna, who passed away due to cancer.
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I miss Jana so much? https://t.co/CYopf1vtNo
? Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 7, 2022
The last time they played together was back in 2010. The pair competed against Tracy Austin and Kathy Rinaldi for the ladies’ invitational doubles championship and came out on top.
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WATCH THE STORY: Chris Evert looks back at her astounding rivalry with Martina Navratilova and the negative impact of her 13-match losing streak
Speaking about their head-to-head encounters, the duo faced each other 7 odd times, with Navratilova winning 6 of those. Navratilova has won 3 semifinals, and a final in those 6 victories, and Novotna has managed to win a single match, which was the Wimbledon 1993 semifinals.