Suarez Navarro aims to enjoy the moment as she faces Ashleigh Barty in her final Wimbledon run
WTATuesday, 29 June 2021 at 07:00
After overcoming a life-threatening cancer diagnosis and returning to the WTA tour, Carla Suarez Navarro will be competing in her final Wimbledon as she plans to retire at the end of the 2021 season.
The Spaniard faces a tough task, as she's drawn to meet World No.1 Ashleigh Barty in the first round. A daunting endeavor for many, the 32-year old has a different perspective as she hopes to enjoy her final ride at the All England Club.
“It feels so special for me. Last year we couldn’t play here," said the former World No.6. "I’m a little bit sad, here to play for the last time, it’s one of the most beautiful tournaments and places where we can play.”
“I have a really special match in my first round, so I’ll try and enjoy it.”
Suarez Navarro announced her plans to retire at the end of the 2019 season, but had to delay plans due to the global pandemic. Furthermore, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma last September and spent weeks undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy before she revealed that she was finally cancer-free.
The two-time WTA singles titlist has a blockbuster contest with Barty in the first round, and she will face the Australian on Centre Court as she prepares for her last hurrah.
“I know the atmosphere there is normally amazing," added Suarez Navarro. "I really respect Ash, obviously she’s No.1 now, she’s one of the best, she really understands the game. It’s going to be special for sure.”
“I know I have to be 100 per cent. It’s the first time we’ve played each other, first tournament this year on grass. I know what I have to do, but the most important thing is to enjoy the moment.”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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