Martina Navratilova emotionally admits adoption plans ‘on hold’ after double-cancer battle

21 March 2023

Martina Navratilova has emotionally admitted her adoption plans with wife Julia Lemigova are “on hold”.

Martina Navratilova has emotionally admitted her adoption plans with wife Julia Lemigova are ‘on hold’

The 66-year-old tennis icon’s partner of nearly 10 years and ‘Real Housewives of Miami’ star, 50, had discussed their possible plans for adopting earlier in January, but after her recent breast and throat cancer battle Martina said she doesn’t think having a baby is “going to happen”.

She tells ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ in an interview that will air on Thursday (23.03.23): “We were thinking about adopting but that’s definitely put on hold, and I don’t think it’s going to happen.

“I think it’s just too complicated and the energy, I only have so much right now.”

She added that even though adoption “was a nice thought for a while” her health fight had brought the realities of doing it “into sharp focus”.

Martina said: “I’m not really the youngest anymore and I don’t want to be the grandmother on the playground. Forget that part, there’s just not enough space I think for this to happen.”

Julia, who married Martina – who has a record 59 Grand Slam singles and doubles titles – in 2014, opened up about their adoption plans on the ‘Real Housewives of Miami’ reunion show earlier last week, saying: “When you’re adopting a child, it has to be about the child.

“And, right now, it’s everything about Martina, and for her (to be) getting healthy.

“So, we’re putting it on hold. You know, we were thinking (that) any moment, the agency would call and give us happy news that we’re going to have a baby... Instead, we are fighting two cancers. Like one was not enough.”

Martina also told Piers, 57, she was officially “cancer-free” after fearing she “wouldn’t see next Christmas” and beating the disease was the “hardest thing ever”.

Navratilova said the double diagnosis had left her gripped by total panic and added that she only has two more weeks of radiation treatment radiotherapy on her breast that should leave her “good to go”.