Tejal Somvanshi
Tennis great Monica Seles, winner of nine Grand Slam titles, has revealed she was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) three years ago. The 51-year-old International Tennis Hall of Famer is speaking publicly about her condition for the first time to raise awareness ahead of the 2025 U.S. Open.
“I would be playing with some kids or family members, and I would miss a ball. I was like, ‘Yeah, I see two balls,'” Seles explained in a recent interview. She first noticed these symptoms while swinging a tennis racket, the same motion she performed countless times during her illustrious career.
Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease affecting roughly 12–20 per 100,000 people worldwide, with higher reported prevalence in North America. The condition causes the immune system to attack the connection between nerves and muscles, leading to muscle weakness and fatigue in voluntary muscles. Common symptoms include double vision, drooping eyelids, and weakness in the arms and legs.
For Seles, the diagnosis meant significant changes. Simple daily activities became challenging. “Just blowing my hair out became very difficult,” she shared, describing how the weakness affected her arms. The symptoms can vary in severity and often fluctuate, with people typically feeling strongest in the morning after rest and weakest by evening.
While there is no cure for myasthenia gravis, several treatments help manage symptoms. These include medications like cholinesterase inhibitors that improve nerve-muscle communication, immunosuppressants, and newer biologic treatments. Some patients may undergo thymectomy—surgical removal of the thymus gland—which can improve symptoms in certain cases.
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Seles has approached this health challenge with the same resilience she showed throughout her tennis career. “I had to, in tennis terms, reset—hard reset—a few times,” she said, comparing her MG diagnosis to other pivotal moments in her life, including immigrating to the U.S. at age 13 from Yugoslavia and her recovery following a 1993 stabbing incident at a tournament in Germany.
The tennis champion has partnered with argenx, an immunology company, for their “Go for Greater” campaign. The initiative aims to connect people affected by MG with resources and support. In the United States, approximately 120,000 people live with the condition.
Heat sensitivity can worsen MG symptoms, making activity planning important for those with the condition. For athletes like Seles, clinicians advise planning, pacing, and scheduled rest to help manage MG-related fatigue and activity demands, supported by medical guidance.
The condition typically affects women under 40 and men over 60, though it can occur at any age.
Seles hopes her decision to speak out will help others. “When I got diagnosed, I was like, ‘What?!’ So this is where—I can’t emphasize enough—I wish I had somebody like me speak up about it,” she said. By sharing her story, she aims to reduce isolation for others facing similar challenges and raise public understanding of this often-overlooked condition.
Through all this, Seles maintains her positive outlook: “You’ve got to always adjust. That ball is bouncing, and you’ve just got to adjust. And that’s what I’m doing now.”
