Monica Seles reveals myasthenia gravis diagnosis: ‘It’s a difficult one’

Nine-time Grand Slam champion Monica Seles is speaking out about her health for the first time after she was diagnosed three years ago with a rare neuromuscular autoimmune disease. 

The International Tennis Hall of Famer revealed her diagnosis of myasthenia gravis in a recent interview with The Associated Press, with the hope of bringing awareness to the disease, which she acknowledged she had not known about before. 

Monica Seles prepares to serve the ball at the 2000 Lipton Tennis Championships at Crandon Park in March 2000. (RVR Photos/ USA TODAY Sports)

“When I got diagnosed, I was like, ‘What?!’” Seles told the outlet. “So this is where — I can’t emphasize enough — I wish I had somebody like me speak up about it.”

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Seles, 51, was diagnosed with the disease in 2023. She told the AP that she was concerned when she noticed double vision while playing tennis. Missing a ball was something that stood out for the legendary tennis star, whose career featured four Australian Open titles, three French Open titles and two U.S. Open wins. 

“I would be playing with some kids or family members, and I would miss a ball. I was like, ‘Yeah, I see two balls.’ These are obviously symptoms that you can’t ignore,” Seles said. “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.”

Myasthenia gravis is described by the Cleveland Clinic as an autoimmune disease that causes skeletal muscle weakness. It affects about 20 out of every 100,000 people worldwide and is most common in women around the age of 40 and men over the age of 60. 

Monica Seles keeps her eyes on the tennis ball as she serves to Shaun Stafford of the United States during their Women’s Singles Third Round match of the U.S. Open on Sept. 1, 1989 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Queens, New York. (Simon Bruty/Allsport/Getty Images)

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Blurry and double vision are just some of the common symptoms, which also include muscle weakness in the arms, hands, legs and neck and difficulty speaking, swallowing or chewing. There is no cure for myasthenia gravis, but treatment is available to help manage symptoms.

Seles called her approach to the diagnosis a “reset,” something she’s had to do many times during her tennis career.  

“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.” 

Monica Seles talks during a press conference on day 4 of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore at Singapore Sports Hub on Oct. 26, 2016 in Singapore. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

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Seles stepped away from the sport for about two years after she was stabbed in Germany during a match in April 1993. She returned to win her fourth Australian Open title in 1996, her final singles Grand Slam title. 

“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,’” Seles told the AP. “And that’s what I’m doing now.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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