ITF

ITF World Winter 2021 17 From the depths of a cancer diagnosis in 2020 to a farewell which reflected the love and adoration the tennis world feels for her, Carla Suarez Navarro exited the stage to an emotional and heartfelt curtain call. It was all done on her own terms, and given it was Suarez Navarro with considerable style and dignity also, but Spain's defeat to the United States at the Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Finals last month signalled the 33-year-old's retirement. There was not a dry eye in the house as a professional career which spanned nearly two decades and delivered untold memories was celebrated and savoured to much fanfare at Prague's O2 Arena. Unbeknown to Suarez Navarro, during the build-up to the Finals, teammates and fellow players – friends, above all else – were recording unscripted goodbye messages for an individual they clearly respect and have huge affection for. At the conclusion of Aliona Bolsova and Rebeka Masarova's doubles victory over CoCo Vandeweghe and Caroline Dolehide, the carefully crafted video was played on the big screen as Suarez Navarro absorbed the warmth of a hugely appreciative audience. "It was so special, and I felt the love of everyone," Suarez Navarro told ITFWorld. "I say goodbye with a really big smile on my face. It is time to say goodbye, but I feel really proud of my tennis career, with the way I played and the way I was with all of the people and the respect I showed and received. "The perfect farewell would have been with the trophy, but it was special for me to be around my teammates for my last tournament. That is why I tried so hard to be there and represent Spain one last time. "Tennis is a single sport, but weeks like the Finals are so different. I really enjoyed every day: we had fun and worked hard when we needed to. It was special and I just want to say thank you to my team. There is nothing more to say except thank you and goodbye." Suarez Navarro and her silky one-handed backhand will be sorely missed. After all, she has significant pedigree, with the Spaniard a former world No. 6 and seven-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist, while she featured at four Olympic Games, most recently at Tokyo 2020 earlier this year. The Olympics featured prominently on Suarez Navarro's goodbye tour, which also included an emotional comeback appearance at Roland Garros and outings at Wimbledon and the US Open, all after announcing her recovery from Hodgkin lymphoma in April. Initial retirement plans were shelved following her diagnosis shortly before the 2020 US Open. She subsequently underwent eight gruelling sessions of chemotherapy over a four-month period, with the aftereffects of each round of treatment taking a significant toll. Nausea, retching and weariness were commonplace, although Suarez Navarro stood strong in the face of adversity and, thankfully, a recovery was forthcoming. This year has turned into something of a long goodbye but as swansongs go, she could not have asked for more. WATC H M O R E CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO Following a heroic recovery from a harrowing cancer diagnosis, Carla Suarez Navarro waved goodbye to the sport she loves at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November. As she tells ITFWorld, it was the perfect swansong

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