Tennis Legend Monica Seles Reveals Autoimmune Disease Affects Her ‘Day-To-Day Life’

Tennis legend Monica Seles, 51, is speaking out publicly for the first time about being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis(MG) in 2022.

Seles told the Associated Press recently that she first realized something was wrong while she was playing tennis casually.

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

“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.”

The nine-time Grand Slam title winner said she wasn't familiar with the condition until she was referred to a neurologist after developing symptoms, including double vision and weakness in her arms. A task like “just blowing my hair out” became “very difficult” for her to do.

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

Seles started her professional tennis career at age 15 in 1989. She was a dominant player in the early 1990s and became the youngest player to win a French Open singles title in 1990 at 16.

Seles faced a terrifying incident on the court in 1993 when she was stabbed by a fan of retired player Steffi Graf during a changeover break. As a result of the assault, she took a two-year hiatus from the sport.

Both Seles and Graf were rivals who faced each other 15 times during their careers.

Seles retired from tennis in 2008 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.

According to the Mayo Clinic, MG causes muscles to feel weak and get tired quickly because the communication between nerves and muscles breaks down.

MG causes various symptoms, including muscle weakness in the arms or legs, double vision, drooping eyelids, and trouble speaking, chewing, swallowing, walking and breathing.

To diagnose MG, a person may need a blood test, an MRI or CT scan, or an electromyography (EMG).

MG affects about 20 out of every 100,000 people worldwide. In the U.S., roughly 60,000 people are affected by MG at any given time.

The disease can impact individuals of any age, but it is more frequently seen in women under 40 and men over 60.

There is no cure for MG, but treatment options include different medications, intravenous treatments and sometimes surgery.

“We are very much living in an unprecedented time in the development of MG therapeutics and our understanding of how to address this disease,” said Jeffrey Rosenfeld, M.D., at Loma Linda University Health. 

​“And as a result of that, there are a lot of options that were not available earlier, and more to come.”​