Esther Vergeer diagnosed with breast cancer

Wheelchair tennis great announces emotional news on social media 23 Jan 2020
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Dutch wheelchair tennis player smiles holding her gold medal at the London 2012 Paralympics
Esther Vergeer retired from wheelchair tennis after winning her fourth singles title at the London 2012 Paralympics
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By IPC

The Netherlands’ Esther Vergeer,  one of the greatest Paralympians of all-time, revealed on 22 January that she has breast cancer and will begin treatment.

The 38-year-old retired from wheelchair tennis in 2012 with an impressive winning streak of 470 matches, seven Paralympic gold medals and 44 Grand Slam titles. Her involvement in the sport and the Paralympic Movement still continued. Last October, the Esther Vergeer Foundation celebrated 15 years since its inception of introducing children with a disability to sports.

Apart from wheelchair tennis, Vergeer also led the Dutch Paralympic Team as Chef de mission at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. She was also Deputy Chef de Mission at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.