Tennis Legend Reveals Shocking Health Battle

Tennis icon Monica Seles is opening up for the first time about a private health battle she’s faced for the past three years.

In a new interview with the Associated Press, the 51-year-old nine-time Grand Slam champion revealed she has been living with myasthenia gravis, a rare neuromuscular autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness and fatigue.

Seles said her symptoms began subtly, with double vision and a strange weakness in her limbs. “I would be playing with some kids or family members, and I would miss a ball. I was like, ‘Yeah, I see two balls,’” she recalled. “These are obviously symptoms you can’t ignore. And for me, this is when this journey started.”

The diagnosis, confirmed by a neurologist, was something she had never even heard of before. According to the Mayo Clinic, myasthenia gravis happens when communication between nerves and muscles breaks down, and while there’s no cure, treatments can help manage symptoms such as drooping eyelids, difficulty speaking, chewing, or swallowing, and trouble with arm or leg strength.

Seles said adjusting to life with the condition hasn’t been easy. “Being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis was another reset,” she explained. “But one thing, as I tell kids that I mentor: ‘You’ve got to always adjust. That ball is bouncing, and you’ve just got to adjust.’ And that’s what I’m doing now.”

The tennis legend, who won her first major title at just 16, is now focused on embracing her “new normal” while continuing to inspire others both on and off the court.