Thirty-one-year-old Carla Suarez Navarro recorded a video message from a hospital room to inform the tennis world that she’s been diagnosed with cancer, more specifically with Hodgkin lymphoma.
The former WTA world No.6 from Spain put a brave smile on her face and calmly articulated the devastating news about her health:
Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know that a few days ago I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. I’ll need to go through six months of chemotherapy. I’m fine and calm at the moment, willing to face whatever comes. See you soon!
The video caption reads:
Patience and self-belief guided me through my career. Not the easiest rival to deal with. I’ll need my truly best.
Me toca afrontar una realidad complicada. Toca aceptarlo e intentar salir adelante confiando en el consejo médico. Siempre con positivismo ante la adversidad. 💪🏻💪🏻
Patience and self-belief guided me through my career. Not the easiest rival to deal with. I’ll need my truly best. pic.twitter.com/lF9oVChWRh
— Carla Suárez Navarro (@CarlaSuarezNava) September 1, 2020
So many tennis players have battled cancer and it makes me wonder whether this profession makes one more likely to get this horrible disease. Alisa Kleybanova and Victoria Duval both had this very type of cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, diagnosed at a very young age — Russia’s Kleybanova was in her early twenties at the time, while Duval was still a teenager.
The last tournament Carla Suarez Navarro played was the Qatar Total Open in February, afterwards, the season was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. I am wishing Carla a successful recovery. I am positive that everything will be fine, especially when I see how calm and collected she is.
Very sad news Carla … such a wonderful person and then … this ! Get well, please, and many hugs for you !
Maarten, it is indeed so sad. I read somewhere that it is a rare form of cancer, and yet, three WTA players have had it in the last 10 years. So strange.
Sending my love, prayers and good wishes to you Carla. Keep fighting and I will keep praying for you ❤️❤️
Poor Carla! Hopefully she has a good chance to recover, but the treatment will be no fun. I agree Marija I was wondering if its because of all the air travel. My understanding is that this involves a relatively high level of radiation.
So sad! 🙁
Sending Carla A LOT of love and positive energy and wishing her the best! Good luck Carla, my thoughts are with you!!!
CLT, when Francesca Schiavone revealed that she had battled cancer, I had a discussion with one of my readers and he said that tennis court weed killers could also be a problem. But too much air travel is also not healthy. There could be many reasons.
Here is what my friend John Bolan says could be the reason: “I believe it could be from herbicides like Roundup used at tennis venues. Hodgkin is one of the diseases caused by the herbicide Agent Orange in the Vietnam War.”
You’re one of my favorite people. I adore and you will fight this like a warrior. I wish you the very best.
Just a fan. Nancy