PERUGIA, Italy (AP) — Former top-20 tennis player Alisa Kleybanova is receiving treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer.
In a posting on the WTA’s website Friday — her 22nd birthday — Kleybanova said there’s a chance she’ll be able to play again. She is being treated at a hospital in Italy because she has a training base and close friends there, “so it’s like home.”
The Russian reached a career-high No. 20 ranking in February, but has been off the tour since May and now is No. 28.
She said: “I miss seeing fans and friends around the world, I miss hitting the ball, I miss everything. Tennis has been my life for the last 15 years.”
The WTA called Kleybanova “very strong and optimistic” and wished her a “speedy and full recovery.”
