Carla Suárez Navarro ‘willing to face whatever comes’ after cancer diagnosis
Tennis player Carla Suárez Navarro has revealed she faces six months of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
The Spaniard, who is ranked No. 71 in the world and has enjoyed stints in the top 10, announced last month she was withdrawing from the US Open for health reasons before revealing her cancer diagnosis Tuesday.
At the end of last year, the 31-year-old Suárez Navarro also said 2020 would the final season of her career.
“It’s time for me to face a complicated reality. It’s time to accept it and try to move forward, trusting in my medical advice. Always facing adversity with positivity,” she wrote on social media.
“Patience and self-belief guided me through my career. Not the easiest rival to deal with. I’ll truly need my best.”
She added in an accompanying video: “I’m fine, I’m calm at the moment, willing to face whatever comes.”
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Hodgkin lymphoma is a form of cancer that originates in the lymph system, part of the body’s immune system. According to the American Cancer Society, there have been about 8,480 new cases of Hodgkin Lymphoma in the United States this year and about 970 deaths.
“Carla, you are such a fighter and I have no doubt you’ll get through this,” Novak Djokovic wrote on Twitter. “Stay positive and come back soon.”
Suárez Navarro has won two WTA singles titles — in 2016 and 2014 — and reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 in February 2016.
Renowned for her elegant one-handed backhand, she has reached grand slam quarterfinals on seven occasions, most recently at last year’s Wimbledon.
