Former top 10 player Carla Suarez Navarro will return to competitive tennis at the French Open next week for the first time since recovering from cancer.
The 32-year-old hasn’t played on the Tour since February 2020 after being diagnosed with an early stage of Hodgkin lymphoma during the second half of last year. An uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system. Suarez Navarro has undergone extensive chemotherapy to treat the illness and was finally given the all clear just last month.
Now just weeks after being given the all clear, the Spaniard is already planning to return to the Tour with her focus being on Roland Garros. A tournament where she reached the quarter-finals on her debut back in 2008 and then again in 2014. Overall she has won 26 matches at the French Open which is more than any other Grand Slam.
“It makes me tremendously excited to be able to participate in Roland Garros. I have been working these last few months to give myself the opportunity to compete one last time in Paris. I am looking forward to jumping onto the court and feeling again how special this tournament has always been for me,” said Suarez Navarro.
“Roland Garros is a tournament that has given me some of the best moments of my career. My first great result was produced on these courts, I have very good memories after all these years and it is a joy to be able to come for the last time to compete in Paris. They are going to be some very beautiful days and I hope I can enjoy them to the fullest.” She added.
The former world No.6 had previously confirmed that she planned to retire from tennis but those plans were delayed. First, it was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the Tour to be suspended before she received her cancer diagnoses.
Suarez Navarro’s plans remain unchanged with her confirming the upcoming return will be a farewell Tour for her in some sense. It is unclear as to how many tournaments she will play or when she will finally step away from the sport for good.
“Tennis has given me many things and I have always wanted to say goodbye on a court. Being able to choose the last shot, having the ability to set myself a date is something I wanted from my heart. This was the illusion that has moved me to train hard in recent times,” she commented.
Suarez Navarro has reached 11 WTA finals during her career, winning titles at the 2014 Portugal Open and 2018 Qatar Open. She has also reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam on seven occasions and has earned more than $11.6M in prize money.
The French Open will start on Monday.
