Olympic medallist Dabrowski competed in the season following her cancer surgery.

Olympic medallist Dabrowski competed in the season following her cancer surgery.

Canada's former U.S. Open doubles champion and bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics, Gabriela Dabrowski, announced on Tuesday that she underwent breast cancer surgery earlier this year. The 32-year-old athlete received her diagnosis in April. 

After enduring two surgeries and taking a three-month hiatus from the WTA Tour, Dabrowski, alongside New Zealand's Erin Routliffe, secured the Nottingham grass-court title in June. The pair also advanced to the Wimbledon final, where they were defeated by Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend. 

Dabrowski chose to delay further treatment in order to participate in Wimbledon and the Olympics, where she achieved a bronze medal for Canada in mixed doubles with Felix Auger-Aliassime. "Initially, I feared that cancer would define my identity permanently. I no longer feel that way. It is a privilege to identify as a survivor," Dabrowski expressed on Instagram. 

Prior to the U.S. Open in late August, she underwent radiation therapy and reached the quarter-finals with Routliffe. "Reflecting on my journey through two surgeries at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, recovery, and rehabilitation, I recall my coach Patrick Daciek assisting me with my serve when my left arm could not lift high enough, just two weeks before Nottingham," Dabrowski recounted. 

She noted a slight postponement in further treatment to enable her participation in Wimbledon and the Olympics, along with the challenges of radiation and fatigue between Toronto and the U.S. Open, as well as the commencement of endocrine therapy. "Ending the season on such a high note feels surreal," she remarked. Dabrowski concluded the year ranked third in the world after triumphing at the WTA Finals in Riyadh with Routliffe, overcoming Townsend and Siniakova in the final. 

"If you noticed me smiling more on the court over the past six months, it was sincere. My cancer diagnosis served as a catalyst for meaningful change," Dabrowski stated. "It was only when the possibility of losing everything I had worked for my entire life became real that I began to truly appreciate what I possessed."

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