Tennis legend Monica Seles is opening up about her journey with myasthenia gravis, revealing how the rare neuromuscular disease—which she'd never heard of until her diagnosis—is reshaping her life off the court. In a recent interview, Seles, now 51, shared that her first hints something was off—double vision and unexpected weakness—came while playing tennis. "I see two balls," she recalled, per the Guardian, noting the symptoms were impossible to ignore. Diagnosed three years ago after being referred to a neurologist, Seles said the condition was "completely" new to her.
Myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting how nerves communicate with muscles, affects 150 to 200 people per million globally, per the New York Times. It has no known cure. The disease most often affects women under 40 and older men but can appear at any age. Seles chose to speak publicly about her diagnosis ahead of the US Open to shed light on the disease and help others feeling isolated by its effects. "It affects my day-to-day life quite a lot," she said, per the Guardian. She described the adjustment as a "hard reset"—one of many she's faced in her life. From emigrating to the US at 13, to navigating fame as a teenage prodigy, and enduring the trauma of a stabbing on court in 1993, Seles has had to adapt repeatedly.
Looking back, Seles credited the US Open crowd for the support that helped her return to the game after her stabbing, calling it a moment she'll "never forget." Now, as the winner of nine Grand Slam singles titles navigates this latest challenge, Seles says she's focused on adapting to her "new normal"—and encourages others to keep adjusting, no matter how the ball bounces. As part of that, she plans to do an event at the US Open with immunology and antibody innovation company Argenx to raise awareness about her condition, per the Times. She is a spokesperson for the company, per ABC News.
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