Gabriela Dabrowski: Wimbledon doubles finalist reveals breast cancer treatment
Wimbledon doubles finalist Gabriella Dabrowski has revealed she underwent breast cancer surgery earlier this year and will undergo further treatment while challenging for the sport’s biggest prize.
The 32-year-old Canadian, a three-time major champion, was diagnosed with the disease in April.
“It’s an honor to be able to call myself a survivor,” Dabrowski, ranked third in the world, wrote in an Instagram post.
After two surgeries and a three-month break from the WTA Tour, she returned and won the Nottingham Grass Tennis Championships with New Zealander Erin Routliffe in her first tournament back.
Four weeks later, the pair reached the Wimbledon finals, losing to Katrina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend.
Dabrowski delayed further treatment to be able to play at the All England Club and represent her country at the Paris Olympics, then underwent radiation therapy before the U.S. Open in late August.
Despite fatigue from treatment, Dabrowski reached the quarterfinals in New York with Routliff.
She also started hormone treatment before winning the WTA Finals with Routliff, finishing the season with “the highest possible results.”
“It all seems so surreal,” Dabrowski wrote, saying she is sharing her story now to help other women facing similar treatment.
“If you see me smiling more on the pitch in the last six months, it’s sincere.
“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 reality, it was only then that I began to truly appreciate what I had.”
