Martina Navratilova, Tennis Champ And Wife Of RHOM's Julia Lemigova, Announces Serious Health Diagnosis

Tennis superstar Martina Navratilova has an unexpected link to "The Real Housewives of Miami" through her wife, the former Miss USSR, Julia Lemigova. Their relationship has certainly earned Navratilova a spot on the list of famous athletes with incredibly gorgeous wives and we're not entirely sure who's luckier in that relationship. The duo set their own record as the first-ever lesbian couple of the "Real Housewives" franchise and the two are now a beloved fixture on the series. In fact, when Nicki Swift surveyed fans about their least favorite Miami housewife (it's Larsa Pippen, btw), it turned out that Lemigova was everyone's favorite.

While our former beauty queen is open about her relationship now, this wasn't always the case. Lemigova admitted to Page Six in February 2022 that she struggled with being open about her sexuality during the early years of dating Navratilova. "We never talked about gay relationships in Russia," she said. Lemigova looked back on how this must have felt for her now-wife. "I must have hurt Martina so much because she's a pioneer of LGBTQ liberation and being herself," Lemigova explained. "When she tried to hold my hand, I would say, 'Darling, we cannot do this. We're in Paris. What if somebody sees us, the neighbors?'"

That all seems to be water under the bridge now and the couple appear to be as solid as ever, which is extra helpful since Navratilova is facing a new health crisis.

Martina Navratilova announced on January 2, 2023 that she has been diagnosed with both throat and breast cancer. Navratilova, 66 at the time of the diagnosis, said in a statement: "This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I'm hoping for a favorable outcome. It's going to stink for a while but I'll fight with all I have got," according to ESPN. The tennis legend has 18 grand slam single titles under her belt as well as 31 grand slam doubles titles, in addition to several other wins and records. 

Navratilova noticed swollen lymph nodes in November 2022 and, through a biopsy, she discovered that she had stage one throat cancer. According to Tennis.com, the cancer is "type HPV;" the outlet noted that people who undergo treatment for this type of cancer generally have positive results. Concurrent with her throat cancer diagnosis, Navratilova discovered that she also had breast cancer.

In 2010, Navratilova was diagnosed with noninvasive breast cancer, per ESPN. She had a lumpectomy and six weeks of radiation and was deemed cancer free at the time. While Navratilova will have to take time away from her in-person work as a tennis commentator, she hopes to join the Australian Open in late January 2023 via Zoom. We wish her a full and speedy recovery!