Monica Seles adapts to the ‘new normal’ after being diagnosed with neuromuscular disease | Tennis

Monica Seles says she’s diagnosed Severe myasthenia – Neuromuscular autoimmune disease – three years ago.

The nine-time Grand Slam singles champion said she first noticed the symptoms of the disease when she slapped her racket.

“I would play with some kids or family and I would miss a ball. I was like, ‘Yes, I saw two balls.’ These are obviously symptoms you can’t ignore,” Celes said. “For me, this was when the journey began. It took me a lot of time to really absorb it, talk about it openly because it was a difficult thing. It affected my daily life.”

Seles, who won her first major, the 1990 French Open at the age of 16 and competed in her final match in 2003, said she was diagnosed with a therapy for muscle weakness three years ago and spoke about it for the first time publicly before raising awareness of the situation at the U.S. Open this month.

The National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke calls it “a chronic neuromuscular disease that causes voluntary muscle weakness” and “most commonly affects young women (under 40 years old) and older men (over 60 years old), but… can occur at any age, including childhood, including childhood.” There is currently no known cure.

The 51-year-old said she hadn’t heard about this until she noticed symptoms such as dual vision and weakness on her arms, until she was referred to a neurologist – “Just blowing my hair off…it became very difficult,” she said.

“When I was diagnosed, I was like, ‘What?!'” Sails said. “So this is where I can’t emphasize – I wish I had people like me who speak up.”

The disease can also cause difficulties in swallowing, speaking and affecting facial expressions.

It has been thirty years since Seles returned to the finals at the 1995 U.S. Open. She was stabbed during the game In Germany.

“The way they welcomed me…I will never forget after the stabbing,” Celes said of New York fans. “These are moments with you.”

Celes said she is learning to achieve a “new normal” and describes her health as a series of life steps that need to be adapted to.

“I want to reset – reset – a few times in tennis terms. [from Yugoslavia]. Can’t speak this language; leave my family. This is a very difficult time. Then, obviously, becoming a great player, it’s also a reset because of fame, money, attention, change [everything]and it’s hard to deal with all of this. Then obviously my stabbing – I had to do a lot of resets. ” Celes said.

“And then, actually, Thor who was diagnosed with muscle weakness: another reset. But, as I told the kids one thing to guide: ‘You have to adjust all the time.

Celes won nine Grand Slam singles titles in her game career, and although she did make it to the finals in 1992, Wimbledon was the only Grand Slam she missed.