Tennis Legend Monica Seles Reveals Rare Myasthenia Gravis Diagnosis

Tennis legend Monica Seles, a nine-time Grand Slam champion, has publicly revealed her diagnosis of myasthenia gravis, a rare neuromuscular autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness, three years ago. She first noticed symptoms like double vision and arm weakness while playing tennis, which significantly impacted her daily life and prompted her to seek medical evaluation. Seles, who rose to fame as the youngest French Open champion at 16 and survived a 1993 stabbing that disrupted her career, is now using her platform ahead of the US Open to raise awareness about this chronic condition, which varies widely in symptoms and can affect muscle groups controlling vital functions. She partnered with the immunology company argenx to promote awareness through the Go for Greater campaign. Reflecting on her journey, Seles described this diagnosis as another career reset, emphasizing the difficulty of coping with the disease and the importance of speaking out to help others facing similar challenges. Myasthenia gravis commonly affects young women and older men but can occur at any age, making Seles’ advocacy especially significant for public understanding of the illness.