France's Cornet to attempt surprise WTA Tour comeback

French player Alize Cornet announced on Monday she will make a return to professional tennis less than a year after retiring from the sport.

The 35-year-old, who holds the women's record for most consecutive Grand Slam appearances with 69, will play in a second-tier event in Spain which starts on March 31.

Cornet will enter the main draw of a clay-court tournament in Rouen in April as a wildcard, before playing in qualifying for the Italian and Madrid Opens.

"Even if it's only for a few tournaments, the desire to play and the excitement of competition are definitely there," Cornet said in an Instagram post.

Cornet reached a career-high ranking of 11th in 2009, beat Serena Williams three times and reached the 2022 Australian Open quarterfinals.

She initially retired after suffering a first-round thrashing by Zheng Qinwen at last year's French Open.