Mark Selby admits he was "completely blown apart" when wife Vikki was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, though thankfully she is now recovering.
In an interview with the Metro, four-time World Champion Selby reveals that the couple found out in January 2023 that Vikki had cancer. She had a course of radiotherapy, and the results of recent tests have given them optimism.
"She had a mammogram and ultrasound a few weeks ago and that all looked good," said 40-year-old Selby. "They gave her an MRI as well and we’re waiting on the results of that. Fingers crossed that comes back ok and then it’s another year until we get a scan again.
"‘She’s been stronger than me throughout it, for sure. When it was first announced I was completely blown apart. Obviously with how my mental health was before anyway, that multiplied it. She’s been the one supporting me! It should be the other way round, but people say that, it always seems to be the person going through it that’s the strongest.
"Vikki was going through radiotherapy while I was playing at the Crucible so in a way it did take my focus off the tournament. I was playing and thinking, 'If I get beat, so what?' I said to Vikki that I wanted to be with her going through the radiotherapy but she was saying, 'Look it’s only 20 minutes every day.' I wanted to be there to support her, going through it, but she wanted me to play."
It has been an awful time for the family as Vikki's best friend Nina Webb passed away from the same disease last month at the age of just 44. Inevitably these circumstances have tested Selby's own mental health, which he bravely spoke about two years ago.
The world number five said this week: "I’m always going to get lapses. When I was working with the doctor, who’s helped me no end, he said it will never go away, you will get moments when it comes back, it’s just about dealing with them. I know how to deal with them better now. I used to switch myself off, lock myself away and not do anything. I thought that was the right thing, but I actually needed to do the opposite.
"Playing does help because it gives me a purpose, I’m doing it for Vikki and [daughter] Sofia, to put food on the table, so I’ve got a drive to keep going for them."
