Another retired star has announced his comeback! After picking off a number of world No. 1 goals

Less than a year after retiring from his hometown Grand Slam, France's Cornet has announced his imminent comeback.

The 35-year-old Frenchman has announced the preliminary schedule for her upcoming comeback in the clay season. She will be featured at the WTA 125 Rabisbar de Ampulda event starting on 31 March before returning to the Tour as a wild card at the Rouen Metropolitano Open on 14 April. After that, she will compete in the qualifiers for the 1000 event in Madrid and Rome.

"After eight weeks of intense training (and 10 months of retirement), I'm back in the game!" Cornet wrote, "Even if it's just a few events, the desire to play and the passion to compete is still strong and beautiful. I've worked very hard to create the best conditions for myself, and the process has brought me immense joy. For the love of tennis, for this last passion, I hope to share it with you. ”

Former world number 11 Cornet has not played since losing to Zheng Qinwen in the first round of the French Open last year. After that race, she underwent a touching retirement ceremony on the field. The last victory of her career came last May at the WTA 125 in Paris against Olivia Gadeki and reaching the quarterfinals. Her last Tour-level victory came in the first round of Cluj-Napoca last February.

"I'm very excited to be back at the Rouen Metropolitano Open, it's a very exciting opportunity for me to get back on the field. When I started training two months ago, I immediately had that goal in mind – to get ready for Rouen – and I would like to thank Charles [Tournament Director] for giving me this opportunity to jump straight into the race. Everyone thought you had gotten rid of me, but you didn't! So I'll see you all soon! She announced in a press release on Monday.

Since making his professional debut in 2004, Cornet has won six WTA Tour titles, played a record 69 consecutive Grand Slam main draws and won 25 matches against the world's top 10 players, including victories over Serena Williams, Halep, Sabalenka and Swiatek. The Frenchman has won six singles titles in his career and has accumulated more than $10 million in prize money. She did not remove herself from the WTA rankings after last year's French Open and remains ranked at No. 523.

Cornet's return has added even more competitiveness to the women's tennis scene, and her experience and tenacity make her a formidable opponent in the upcoming tournaments.

Her comeback is also a reminder that the allure of competitive sports, the pace of the tour, and the emotions that come with years of competing in the field have never really gone away. The decision of the athlete to return is admirable, not for ranking points or accolades, but simply out of love for tennis. Regardless of the results, the decision itself trumps any outcome.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)