For Monica Seles, the fight didn’t end when she stepped away from professional tennis.
The nine-time Grand Slam champion, once known for her fierce determination and lightning-fast swings, is now channeling that same resilience into a very different challenge — living with a rare autoimmune disease.
Speaking Out for the First Time
At 51, Seles has revealed publicly for the first time that she was diagnosed three years ago with myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness.
The diagnosis came as a shock, but she’s decided to share her journey now, ahead of the US Open, to raise awareness for others who might be facing the same struggle.
The First Signs Something Was Wrong
Seles recalls that the first red flag appeared while she was casually playing tennis with friends and family.
“I’d miss a ball and realize I was seeing two of them,” she said.
Double vision and sudden weakness in her arms eventually pushed her to seek medical help — and even simple tasks like drying her hair became difficult.
A Condition Few Know About
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, myasthenia gravis is a chronic condition that can strike at any age, though it’s most common in young women and older men.
Before her diagnosis, Seles admits she had never even heard of it. “When the doctor told me, I was like, ‘What?!’” she said.
Turning Awareness Into Action
Now, she’s partnering with immunology company argenx for their “Go for Greater” campaign, hoping to be the voice she wishes she had heard when first facing the condition.
Her message is simple: no one should feel alone in this journey.
Learning to Live With a “New Normal”
The International Tennis Hall of Famer compares adapting to life with the illness to hitting the reset button in tennis.
She’s had to do it before — moving to the US at 13 without speaking English, navigating sudden fame as a teenager, and surviving the traumatic stabbing that nearly ended her career.
“This diagnosis is another reset,” Seles said. “But just like in tennis, you’ve got to adjust to how the ball bounces.
That’s what I’m doing now.”