Martina Navratilova 'cancer free' after fearing she would not see Christmas

Navratilova said nursing staff helped her through her chemotherapy treatment by playing Elton John songs. Credit: PA

Martina Navratilova has revealed she is now "cancer free" after her diagnosis left her fearing she "may not see next Christmas".

In January, the former tennis world number one announced she had been diagnosed with both throat and breast cancer.

The 66-year-old is due to undergo further preventative radiation treatment, but revealed in an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV she should then "be good to go".

Navratilova said that having nursing staff play songs by Sir Elton John while she was in chemotherapy had helped get her through the treatment.

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"You pick your music that you want to listen to," she said, in quotes reported by The Sun.

"One time I picked Elton John and then he starts singing I’m Still Standing, which he dedicated to me at a concert in Paris during the French Open in the eighties."

She added: "As far as they know I’m cancer free."

Navratilova is the winner of 59 grand slam singles and doubles titles and has also appeared in several reality television shows.

Navratilova is one of the most decorated tennis players to ever grace the sport. Credit: AP

In 2008, she appeared on the eighth series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, finishing as runner-up to Joe Swash.

She later took part in the 14th season of US network ABC’s Dancing with the Stars in 2012, though she and dancing partner Tony Dovolani were the first pair to be eliminated.

More recently Navratilova has appeared alongside Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow in the Netflix show The Politician.

During her TalkTV interview, set to be aired on Tuesday, she revealed her cancer diagnosis left her fearing the worst.

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"I was in a total panic for three days thinking I may not see next Christmas," she said.

"The bucket list came into my mind of all the things I wanted to do."

Navratilova, who previously underwent treatment for early-stage breast cancer in 2010, went to the doctor after noticing an enlarged lymph node in her neck, with tests subsequently confirming cancer.

She added: "This was the first week in December, [I’m thinking] I will see this Christmas but maybe not the next one."

However, doctors were able to tell her the cancer was "extremely treatable" and she had a "95 per cent" chance of a full recovery.