Tennis legend Monica Seles, 51, is speaking out about her diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (also known as MG); a rare, chronic neuromuscular autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with three years ago.
The nine-time Grand Slam champion and International Tennis Hall of Famer shared in an interview with “Good Morning America” on Tuesday that she chose to share her diagnosis ahead of the U.S. Open later this month to raise awareness about the disease.
Seles played her last professional competitive match in 2003 and officially retired from the sport in 2008. She told GMA: “It was 30 years ago that I came back to the [U.S.] Open … It was like a reset, and this was one of the reasons I decided to go public with my myasthenia gravis, because it’s been a huge reset in my professional life as a tennis player, also in my personal life.”
Seles said that knowing her body so well as a professional athlete helped her realize that something was wrong: “I started experiencing these symptoms of extreme leg weakness, arm weakness, double vision. So I realized, ‘This is very unusual.’ I would be playing with some kids or family members, and I would miss a ball. I was like, ‘Yeah, I see two balls.’ These are obviously symptoms that you can’t ignore,” Seles said, adding even blowing out her hair “became very difficult.”
Seles said she was referred to a neurologist after noticing symptoms such as double vision and weakness in her arms and legs: “Once I was diagnosed, it was like a relief, but also it was a challenge. It took me quite some time to really absorb it, speak openly about it, because it’s a difficult one. It affects my day-to-day life quite a lot. Even coming here today — in the old days, traveling would be a no-brainer. Now I had to get packing tips. I had to learn a new way to live with MG.” Seles is now a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical immunology and antibody innovation company Argenx, the maker of one of her medications
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, myasthenia gravis affects about 20 out of every 100,000 people in the world. While the disease can affect people of any age, the Mayo Clinic notes it is more common in women younger than 40 and in men older than 60. While there is no cure for myasthenia gravis, treatment options can help with symptoms; which include: medications, thymus gland removal surgery, lifestyle changes and more.
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