Former world No. 11, 35-year-old French tennis player Alize Cornet has opened up about her journey back to professional sports. Despite announcing her retirement in 2024, the athlete returned to the court in the spring of 2025.
“I didn`t want it to be a definitive departure. I was worried about the impossibility of returning if I wanted to. Returning wasn`t a necessity, because I had achieved considerable success in tennis.
At that time, I felt very tired, exhausted from constant travel and matches. The stress was excessive. I sincerely believed it was the end, and I was ready for a new chapter. And so it happened. I enjoyed this time for nine months. But the desire to train on the court did not leave me, and I asked my partner to play with me. At some point, he advised me to find sparring partners, as he could not play every day.
I didn`t know how my body would react. Three weeks later, noticing that everything was getting better, I feel great and enjoy training every day, I thought: `Maybe it`s worth coming back for a while?`” Cornet said.
