Monica Seles Reveals Autoimmune Disease Diagnosis
Tennis legend Monica Seles has publicly shared her diagnosis of myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in voluntary muscles. The tennis player, winner of nine Grand Slam titles, revealed that she was diagnosed three years ago. Seles, 51 years old, noticed the first symptoms while playing tennis, an activity she had done throughout her career. She experienced problems such as double vision and weakness in her arms and legs, which led her to seek medical attention.The tennis player, who won her first major trophy at the age of 16 at the 1990 French Open and played her last match in 2003, decided to speak publicly about her diagnosis to raise awareness about myasthenia gravis (MG). Myasthenia gravis is described as a chronic neuromuscular disease that primarily affects young adult women (under 40 years old) and older men (over 60 years old), although it can occur at any age. Seles, before receiving the diagnosis, was completely unaware of this condition. They have learned to adapt to their “new normal.” She describes her health as another step in life that requires adaptation, similar to the challenges she faced in her career, such as moving to the United States as a teenager, sudden fame, and the attack she suffered.“I was playing with some kids or family, and I missed a ball. I saw two balls. These are obviously symptoms that you can’t ignore,” Seles commented. “For me, this is where this journey began. It took me quite a while to really assimilate it, to talk openly about it, because it’s difficult. It affects my daily life.”
Monica Seles
