“It affects my day-to-day life quite a lot”: Monica Seles discloses diagnosis of myasthenia gravis

The 9-time Grand Slam champion Monica Seles has revealed that she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, which causes neuromuscular deterioration, three years ago. The 51-year-old former tennis player is facing a difficult personal time after being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, which causes weakness in voluntary muscles. She disclosed this for the first time in a recent interview.

The former world No. 1 told The Associated Press that she first noticed the symptoms while playing tennis. "I would be playing with some kids or family members, and I would miss a ball. I was like, 'Yeah, I see two balls.'"

"And, for me, this is when this journey started. And 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," she stated in an interview with Daily Mail.

The Serbian-born, naturalized American tennis player admitted that she had no idea about her illness until she consulted a doctor. "When I got diagnosed, I was like, 'What?!'" said Seles, who is partnering with argenx, an immunology company headquartered in the Netherlands, to promote their Go for Greater campaign. "So this is where — I can't emphasize enough — I wish I had somebody like me speak up about it."

She was referred to a neurologist after noticing double vision and weakness in her arms. Seles revealed that even everyday activities, such as blow-drying her hair, had become a challenge. "I had to, in tennis terms, I guess, reset — hard reset — a few times. I call my first hard reset when I came to the U.S. as a young 13-year-old (from Yugoslavia). Didn't speak the language; left my family. It's a very tough time."

"Then, obviously, becoming a great player, it's a reset, too, because the fame, money, the attention, changes (everything), and it's hard as a 16-year-old to deal with all that. Then obviously my stabbing — I had to do a huge reset," Seles said. "And then, really, being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis: another reset. But one thing, as I tell kids that I mentor: 'You've got to always adjust. That ball is bouncing, and you've just got to adjust,' she added. 'And that's what I'm doing now.'"

Nine-time Grand Slam champion Monica Seles became a true legend from an early age, perhaps the most dazzling player ever at a young age. At 16, she won her first Grand Slam, and by the age of 20, she had eight major titles, numbers that have never been seen again at such an early age.

Everything changed with the infamous stabbing she suffered in Hamburg when she was just 20 years old. A fan obsessed with Steffi Graf attacked Seles, stabbing her in the back during the tournament match. He later declared that he hoped to help Steffi Graf regain the world No. 1 ranking on the WTA tour.

Because of this, Seles was out of the game for nearly two years, from April 1993 (when she was just 19) until 1995, when she returned midway through the season. However, she was never as dominant as she had been before the attack.

The legendary tennis player also recalled the welcome she received at the 1995 US Open, where, as a naturalized American citizen, she received an incredible reception from the American fans at Flushing Meadows, something Seles has not forgotten to this day. "The way they welcomed me... after my stabbing, I will never forget," Seles said about the fans in New York. "Those are the moments that stay with you."

After her return, Seles managed to win another Grand Slam title at the 1996 Australian Open and reached the final of the French Open in 1998, but she could not continue to build on her legend. Now, with her neuromuscular disease, Seles is facing a new and significant challenge in her life, though this time it's off the tennis court.