Alizé Cornet, who retired last year, to resume tennis career

PARIS — Less than a year after ending her tennis career, veteran Frenchwoman Alize Cornet is making a comeback.

Cornet said in a statement relayed by Rouen tournament organizers on Monday that she will be playing at the indoor clay-court event next month.

“You thought you’d got rid of me, but it’s not quite the case yet,” said Cornet, who added that she had resumed training two months ago.

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Cornet retired last year after a 6-2, 6-1 loss to No. 7 seed Qinwen Zheng in the first round of the French Open.

The 35-year-old Cornet has been granted a spot in the main draw at Rouen through a wild card, organizers of the WTA 250 tournament said. The event runs from April 14-20.

Cornet reached a career-high ranking of No. 11 in 2009. She holds the women’s record for most consecutive Grand Slam tournaments played at 69, a streak that ran from the 2007 Australian Open to the 2024 French Open.

Her career highlights include defeating No. 1 Serena Williams in the third round at Wimbledon in 2014 and one major quarterfinal appearance, at the Australian Open in 2022.