They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and Carla Suarez Navarro is a living testimony of the same as she returns to professional tennis on Tuesday after coming out on the winning side of a seven-month battle with cancer.

The Spaniard took the tennis world by surprise when she announced her retirement from the sport last year and followed up with the devastating news weeks later that she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

She went for an elaborate and painstaking course of treatment, as advised by her doctors, even as ‘get well soon’ messages from peers and fans flooded her social media handles.

Carla Suarez Navarro announced earlier this year that she was cancer-free

The prayers were eventually answered when earlier this year, Navarro broke the welcoming news that she was almost cancer-free and was feeling braced to the extent of returning to tennis in a matter of months.

Even during her battle with the disease, Navarro had teased a clip of herself playing tennis and indicating that her treatment was going well.

She later announced a full recovery, saying she had won the “most important match” of her life and also confirmed her return to the French Open, in what would be her 12th career appearance at Roland-Garros.

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Currently ranked 118th in singles, Navarro would open her campaign against American Sloane Stephens.

Speaking ahead of her return to action, the 32-year-old Spaniard said, “This tournament has always been special to me”.

Watch This Link: “You’re a Champion”: Rafael Nadal Sends Out Heartfelt Message to Carla Suarez Navarro Ahead of French Open 2021 Return

Navarro reached the French Open quarter-finals in 2008 and 2014

Navarro’s best results in singles in the French capital are quarter-final finishes in 2008 and 2014.

She has put in a lot of work in training and practice for what is being billed as her one last shot at glory at the Roland-Garros.

However, it remains to be seen if her body can take the rigors of professional tennis barely months after recovery from a life-threatening illness and recover well between matches to help her go beyond the last-eight in the tournament.

Read More: “Tennis Has Given Me Many Things”: Carla Suarez Navarro Talks About Comeback After Cancer Recovery at French Open 2021

A lot of such questions on this front will be answered on Tuesday.