Former tennis legend Monica Seles has revealed that she was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a rare neuromuscular autoimmune disorder. At 51, Seles says her symptoms began subtly; she noticed difficulties during simple activities like hitting tennis balls, sometimes even seeing double.
Seles’ personal journey
Seles, who was diagnosed three years ago, talked about the psychological and physical difficulties she has encountered as a result of the illness. She stated, “My journey with MG hasn’t been easy.” She talked about feeling alone when things she used to enjoy became challenging or impossible, Argenx.com.
She does, however, hope that by being candid about her experience, others with MG will be encouraged to get help and stand up for themselves.
“When I first got my diagnosis, I’d never heard of it in the news or from anybody else,” Seles said. She further added, “I had to deal with that internally for quite a few years to process it and my MG diagnosis was kind of very similar. I had to understand my new normal of day-to-day life, what I can do work-wise and different things.”
Seles is considered to be among the best female athletes in the history of the sport. She became well-known as a teenager, winning nine Grand Slam singles titles and spending 178 weeks at the top of the world rankings.
Famous for her strong two-handed strokes, she suffered a tragic two-year hiatus from her career in 1993 after being stabbed by a fan. Before retiring in 2008, Seles made a strong comeback, winning her last Grand Slam in 1996.
In 2009, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame after winning a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics.
What is myasthenia gravis?
Myasthenia gravis is a rare, chronic autoimmune disease that mainly weakens voluntary muscles such as the muscles used for breathing, swallowing, moving limbs, and making facial expressions.
This disorder develops when the immune system unintentionally targets the nerve-muscle connection, impairing communication and resulting in muscle weakness. Usually, the weakness gets worse when you move and gets better when you relax.
Drooping eyelids, double vision, trouble speaking and swallowing, and muscle fatigue that gets worse throughout the day are typical symptoms. Although symptoms can vary greatly and occasionally change, severe cases can result in respiratory muscle weakness, which can cause myasthenic crises, which are potentially fatal situations.
MG is most commonly diagnosed in older men and younger women, though it can affect people of any age.