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Nine-gang grand slam-master Monica Seles talks about her health for the first time after she was diagnosed three years ago with a rare Neuromuscular autoimmune disease.
The International Tennis Hall of Famer revealed her diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis in a recent conversation with Associated Press with the hope of bringing attention to the disease, which she acknowledged that she had not known before.
Monica Seles is preparing to serve the ball at the Lipton Tennis Championships 2000 in Crandon Park in March 2000. (RVR Photos/ USA Today Sports)
“When I was diagnosed, I was like,” what?! “” Seles told the business. “So that’s here – I can’t emphasize enough – I wish I had someone like me to talk about it.”
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Seles, 51, was diagnosed with the disease in 2023. She told AP that she was worried when she noticed double vision while playing tennis. Lack of a ball was something that stood out for the legendary tennis star whose career contained four Australian open titles, three French open titles and two Us open winner.
“I wanted to play with some kids or family members and I would miss a ball. I was like ‘Yes I see two balls.’ These are obviously symptoms that you cannot ignore, ”Seles said. “And for me it was when this journey started. And it took me quite a long time to really absorb it, talk openly about it because it is difficult. It affects my daily life quite a lot.”
Myasthenia Gravis is described by Cleveland Clinic Like an autoimmune disease that causes skeletal muscle weakness. It affects approx. 20 out of every 100,000 people around the world and are most common in women about 40 years and men over the age of 60.
Monica Seles keeps her eyes on the tennis ball as she serves to Shaun Stafford in the United States under their women’s singles third round in the US Open on September 1, 1989 at the Usta National Tennis Center in Queens, New York. (Simon Bruty/Allsport/Getty Images)
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Blurred and dual vision are just some of the common symptoms, which also include muscle weakness in the arms, hands, legs and neck and difficulties in talking, swallowing or chewing. There is no cure for myasthenia gravis, but treatment is available to help deal with symptoms.
Seles called her approach to diagnosis a “reset” something she had to do many times during her tennis career.
I had to reset-hard reset — a few times. I call my first tough reset when I came to the US as a young 13-year-old (from Yugoslavia) because I was a great time to be a reset, to be a great player to be a reset, to be a big one to be a reset, to be a great time and it is a great time and it was a new one to become one is a lot to be resetted.
Monica Seles speaks during a press conference on day 4 in the GDP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore at Singapore Sports Hub on October 26, 2016 in Singapore. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Seles stepped away from the sport for about two years after she was stabbed in Germany during a match in April 1993. She returned to win her fourth Australian Open Title in 1996, her last singles Grand Slam title.
“Being diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis: Another reset. But one thing that I tell the kids that I mentor, ‘You have to always adjust. That ball jumps and you just have to adapt,'” Seles told AP. “And that’s what I’m doing now.”
