By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday December 13, 2019

Francesca Schiavone won her fair share of intense battles during her brilliant playing career but the Italian had to deal with a bigger challenge over the last eight months. On Friday the 2010 Roland Garros champion revealed that she was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo chemotherapy.



“I wish to share with you what happened to me,” she wrote on Twitter. “A cancer had been diagnosed to me. I did chemotherapy, I fought a though battle and now I am still breathing. I have won this fight. And now I am back in action.”

"HI everyone, upon 7-8 of silence from social media and from the world, I wish to share with you what happened to me. A cancer had been diagnosed to me. I did chemotherapy, I fought a though battle and now I am still breathing. I have won this fight. And now I am back in action". pic.twitter.com/DyafTTcHBX

— Francesca Schiavone (@Schiavone_Fra) December 13, 2019

Schiavone retired in 2018, closing the books on a career that saw her become the first Italian woman to win the Roland Garros title and reach a ranking of No.4 in the world. She also reached the Roland Garros final the following year and won a total of eight titles in her career.

Schiavone is Italy’s all-time leader in Fed Cup overall wins and singles wins. She played a big role in three of Italy’s four Fed Cup titles (2006, 2009, 2010).