Doubles world No. 3 Gabriela Dabrowski waited for December 31 to reveal that her year 2024 was marked by cancer battle. Despite navigating treatment, recovery, and ongoing health struggles in the past season, the Canadian tennis star showcased extraordinary resilience, capturing two WTA titles out of six finals and earning a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside Félix Auger-Aliassime.
Dabrowski’s harrowing health journey began in the spring of 2023 when she discovered a lump during a routine self-exam. Initially reassured by doctors that it was nothing to worry about, her world was upended in mid-April 2024 when a biopsy delivered the devastating diagnosis: breast cancer.
Reflecting on the diagnosis, Dabrowski shared, “Early on in my diagnosis, I was afraid of cancer becoming a part of my identity forever. I don’t feel that way anymore. It is a privilege to be able to call myself a survivor.”
The road to recovery began with two surgeries at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. A three-month break from the WTA Tour followed, during which Dabrowski endured the physical and emotional challenges of rehabilitation. She recalled moments when her left arm couldn’t lift high enough for her serve, with her coach Patrick Daciek stepping in to toss the…
