During a recent conversation with The Associated Press, former tennis superstar Monica Seles opened up about her battle with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder. Her journey began while she was enjoying a game with family, only to find herself missing balls and experiencing double vision. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I see two balls.’ These are obviously symptoms that you can’t ignore,” reflected Seles, acknowledging the challenge of confronting her diagnosis publicly.
At 51 years old, Seles, who made history by winning her first Grand Slam title at just 16 during the 1990 French Open, has chosen to share her story leading up to the U.S. Open starting on August 24. She was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis three years ago, and this marks her first public discussion about the condition to elevate awareness of MG.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes myasthenia gravis as “a chronic neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the voluntary muscles.” It primarily affects young adult women under 40 and men over 60, yet it can appear at any age, including childhood.
Seles admitted she was unfamiliar with this condition until medical professionals guided her to a neurologist after she began experiencing debilitating symptoms like double vision and extreme fatigue in her arms and legs. “Just blowing my hair out … became very difficult,” she noted.
“When I got diagnosed, I was like, ‘What?!’” said Seles, who is now collaborating with argenx, a Dutch immunology firm, on their Go for Greater campaign. “I really wish I had someone like me to talk about this.”
It has been over 30 years since Seles made her competitive return at the 1995 U.S. Open, reaching the finals after a tragic knife attack at a Hamburg tournament forced her to step back from the sport. “The way they welcomed me … after my stabbing, I will never forget,” she expressed, reminiscing about the heartfelt support from New York fans. “Those are the moments that stay with you.”
Now, she’s navigating her “new normal,” viewing her health as just another chapter requiring adaptation. Seles described the various “hard resets” she has faced in her life, likening her experiences to those in tennis, where adaptability is key.
“I’ve had to reset multiple times. My first hard reset was moving to the U.S. at 13 from Yugoslavia, not knowing the language or leaving my family. Then, of course, achieving greatness in tennis brought its own reset—fame and money complicate everything, especially for a teenager. Following my stabbing was yet another huge reset,” Seles shared.
“And being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis is another reset. But I always tell the kids I mentor: ‘You’ve got to adjust. That ball is bouncing, and you’ve just got to adjust,’” she concluded. “And that’s what I’m doing now.”
