Australian Test and T20I cricketer Nic Maddinson has bravely shared his personal journey battling testicular cancer. Diagnosed earlier this year, the 33-year-old spent a substantial part of 2025 undergoing intensive treatment. This included surgery to remove a tumor, followed by chemotherapy, after the cancer was found to have spread to other parts of his body.
Following his initial diagnosis, Maddinson underwent surgery. However, further medical assessments revealed that the cancer had unfortunately metastasized beyond the primary site, making the treatment process considerably more complex as the disease was detected in multiple areas.
“Once I found out I had to have chemo, that was pretty hard to deal with,” Maddinson revealed to Nine newspapers. “It had spread to parts of my abdominal lymph nodes and lung. That was a bit where it was pretty daunting.”
The demanding treatment period brought significant physical changes and difficulties for the cricketer. His chemotherapy sessions, which concluded in mid-July, left him grappling with severe side effects that impacted his body and daily life.
“By the second or third week, I lost all my hair,” he shared. “I was feeling pretty average. I was taking types of steroids to manage side effects, but they would keep me up at night… I’d sleep until about 1 am, but sometimes I’d then be awake until 6 am. I found that difficult. I was super drained and felt like I had to sleep 24/7.”
The timing of his illness was particularly poignant, coinciding with a personal milestone as his wife Bianca was expecting their second child during his treatment. Maddinson described the entire treatment duration as extraordinarily challenging, stating, “It was the slowest and longest nine weeks.”
In September, medical professionals delivered the positive news that the treatment had been successful, clearing Maddinson to begin preparing for his highly anticipated return to competitive cricket. He has already resumed training, participating in a net session with his New South Wales squad members recently.
Drawing from his intense personal experience, the cricketer emphasized the critical importance of early detection and regular health check-ups. “To know that I caught it probably as early as I could have, and it still spread into other parts of my body, that was scary. I just think it’s so important if you have anything you’re worried about, get it checked out,” he urged.
Maddinson’s extensive cricket career includes representing the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru between 2014 and 2015, in addition to his international appearances for Australia.