Former Roland Garros semifinalist returns after 14-month absence

Nadia Podoroska is set to return to competition after more than 14 months away from the tour, marking one of the most notable comebacks in recent months. The Argentine, a former Roland Garros semifinalist, will compete next week at the W35 Junin II event on home soil.

The Argentine will end this week an absence that began after her first-round defeat at the Australian Open in 2025. That loss to Karolina Muchova (6-1, 6-1) marked her last appearance before a prolonged period defined by injury setbacks.

Podoroska’s time away from competition was shaped by consecutive physical issues that disrupted any attempt at continuity. A hip injury sustained in Melbourne required four months of rehabilitation, delaying her initial return plans. As she progressed through recovery, shoulder pain emerged as a secondary complication, extending her absence further and forcing a more cautious approach to her comeback timeline.

Her return now comes at ITF level, a strategic step to rebuild match fitness and regain rhythm. At 29, Podoroska looks to re-establish herself after reaching a career-high ranking of World No. 36 in 2021, with her strongest results historically coming on clay.

Podoroska’s breakthrough came at Roland Garros 2020, where she arrived ranked World No. 131 and had to come through qualifying to enter the main draw. That context alone made her run unusual, but what followed elevated it into one of the most notable campaigns of that season.

Once in the main draw, she progressed without dropping a set in her opening matches, defeating Greet Minnen in the first round and Yulia Putintseva in the second. Her level remained consistent in the third round, where she overcame Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, before producing her most significant result in the quarterfinals.

There, Podoroska defeated Elina Svitolina, the No. 3 seed, in straight sets (6-2, 6-4). The match highlighted her ability to absorb pace and redirect rallies on clay, neutralising one of the most consistent players on the tour and confirming that her run was not circumstantial.

Her campaign ended in the semifinals against Iga Swiatek – world No. 54 at that time, who would go on to win her first Grand Slam title. Podoroska was defeated 6-2, 6-1, with Swiatek imposing a higher level of intensity, in what was the third French Open semifinal between unseeded players and with the lowest combined ranking of both players in the history of semifinal matches at the tournament.