Fokus på kvinders sundhed ved WTA Madrid Open

Tennislegenderne og desuden canceroverleverne Martina Navratilova og Carla Suarez Navarro deltog i en paneldiskussion ved Mutua Madrid Open om den livreddende betydning af tidlig opdagelse og behandling af sygdommen.

Arrangementet fandt sted som et led i Hologic WTA Tours mission om at gøre en indsats for kvinders sundhed over hele verden. I panelet deltog også Jose Yebra for Hologic og WTA's præsident Micky Lawler – alt sammen under ledelse af den britiske tenniskommentator Catherine Whitaker.

The event spotlighted the WTA’s latest endeavors with its title and official health partner, the medical technology innovator and global women’s health leader Hologic. These two pioneers for women recently formed a multi-year alliance to elevate gender equity and emphasize the benefits of early detection and treatment.

Speaking candidly about her own breast cancer experience, WTA Legend Martina Navratilova shared, “As athletes, we’re all about health and taking care of our bodies, but we’re used to injuries. We’re used to rehabbing and having surgery. This is about women’s health, which you cannot rehab. You need this prevention,” Navratilova urged. “It’s about making women aware of how to take care of themselves, because as athletes yes, we take care of our bodies, but as women, we are the last to take care of ourselves. We take care of everybody else first. For me, I went four years in between breast exams. Thankfully, I caught it early.”

Serving as an inspiration and embodiment of strength for so many in Spain and around the world, Carla Suarez Navarro shared similar sentiments on the importance of early detection surrounding her personal battle with cancer, stating, “Sometimes feeling fine and thinking that you are well is not enough, which is why it's important to have check-ups, blood tests, etc. This could be something that saves your life, as long as you catch it in time.”

Joining Navratilova and Suarez Navarro for the panel conversation were Jose Yebra, General Manager of France, Italy, and Iberia for Hologic, and Micky Lawler, WTA President.

Addressing the crowd of attendees, Lawler discussed the pivotal objectives of the partnership, sharing, “Together our voice is much stronger. When people ask us ‘Who is Hologic’, we can explain exactly what Hologic does by carrying the message of preventive health to a wider, global platform of women.”

Building on that, Yebra noted key indicators from the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, which provides unprecedented, measurable insights from women about their own well-being across 116 countries and territories – the largest women’s health survey ever conducted.

“We believe that the power of our combined effort will impact women’s health around the globe, making sure everyone knows how crucial early detection is to saving women’s lives,” Yebra explained. “This is especially important when, during the pandemic, many women did not access doctor appointments or screening appointments and consequently, we saw an increase in the number of cases of breast and cervical cancer diagnoses.”

In conjunction with the ongoing Hologic WTA Tour mission of championing women’s health, the panel event concluded by spotlighting the “WTA Charities ACEing Cancer by Hologic” campaign—a philanthropic program dedicated to supporting the fight against cancers affecting women. To date, the campaign has raised $28,680 USD by donations for every ace hit by a WTA player at WTA 500 and 1000 level tournaments so far this year.

To view more behind-the-scenes content from the panel conversation, follow the WTA on social here. To learn more about Hologic, visit https://www.hologic.com/.

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Media Contacts:

Amy Binder, WTA, abinder@wtatennis.com

Jessica Culbreath, WTA, jculbreath@wtatennis.com

Jane Mazur, Hologic, jane.mazur@hologic.com

About the WTA:

Founded by Billie Jean King in 1973 on the principle of equal opportunity, the WTA is the global leader in women’s professional sports. The WTA is one of the world’s most recognizable and high-profile sports organizations, consisting of more than 1600 players representing approximately 87 nations, all competing to earn WTA rankings points and prestigious tournament titles. The Hologic WTA Tour is annually comprised of around 50 events and four Grand Slams, spanning six continents and nearly 30 countries and regions with a global audience of over 900 million. Further information on the WTA can be found at wtatennis.com.

About Hologic:

Hologic, Inc. is a global medical technology innovator primarily focused on improving women’s health and well-being through early detection and treatment. Its advancements include invention of the world’s first commercial 3D mammography system to fight breast cancer; leadership in testing for cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections, respiratory illnesses, and the virus that causes COVID-19; and minimally invasive surgical technologies for uterine fibroids and abnormal uterine bleeding. The company also champions women through the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, which provides a science-backed data roadmap for improving women’s well-being, and Project Health Equality, which elevates awareness, research insights and access to quality care for underserved women.