Martina Navratilova ‘cancer free’ after fearing she would not see next Christmas

Tennis icon Martina Navratilova has revealed she is now “cancer free” after her diagnosis had left her fearing she “may not see next Christmas”.

The former world number one announced in January she had been diagnosed with throat and breast cancers.

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

Navratilova said in quotes reported by the Sun: “As far as they know I’m cancer free.”

Navratilova, winner of 59 grand slam singles and doubles titles, revealed her diagnosis left her fearing the worst.

“I was in a total panic for three days thinking I may not see next Christmas,” she said in the interview set to be aired on Tuesday.

“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 doctors 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, the Sun reported.