Wimbledon doubles finalist Gabriela Dabrowski has revealed she underwent breast cancer surgery earlier this year, undergoing further treatment as she battles for the sport’s biggest prizes.
The 32-year-old Canadian, a three-time major champion, was diagnosed in April.
“It’s a privilege to be able to call myself a survivor,” world number three Dabrowski wrote in an Instagram post.
After two surgeries and a three-month break from the WTA Tour, she returned to win the Nottingham grass court title alongside New Zealander Erin Routliffe in her first tournament back.
Four weeks later, the two reached the Wimbledon final where they lost to Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend.
Dabrowski had delayed continuing his treatment so he could play at the All England Club and represent his country at the Paris Olympics, then underwent radiation treatment before the US Open in late August.
Despite fatigue from the treatment, Dabrowski reached the quarter-finals in New York alongside Routliffe.
She also began hormone treatment before ending the season on the “highest note possible” by winning the WTA Finals title alongside Routliffe.
“This all seems surreal,” wrote Dabrowski, who said she is sharing her story now to help other women facing similar treatment.
“If you saw me smile more on the pitch over the last six months, it was genuine.
“My cancer diagnosis was the catalyst for more lasting change.
“When the threat of losing everything I had worked for my entire life became a real possibility, it was only then that I began to authentically appreciate what I had.”
