Francesca Schiavone, the first Italian woman to win the French Open, has revealed that she has successfully beaten cancer.

The 39-year-old, who won at Roland Garros in 2010 defeating Australia's Samantha Stosur, also claimed eight titles before retiring from the sport in 2018.

Schiavone has not revealed the type of cancer diagnosed but said that her treatment has helped her overcome the tumor, which was found in June this year.

She said: "I did chemotherapy, I fought a tough battle and now I am still breathing. I have won this fight. And now I am back in action."

The former world No 4 released a video on Instagram with the caption: "Hi everyone, upon seven-eight months of silence from social media and from the world, I wish to share with you what happened to me. A cancer had been diagnosed to me.

"I'll tell you what happened in the past seven months of my life," said the Italian.

"They diagnosed me with a malignant tumor, it was the toughest battle I ever faced in my life,

"But the best thing about it is that I have managed to win this battle. And when they told me a few days ago, I exploded with happiness and I still live with happiness today, I can cut it with a knife," she said.

Upon her retirement following the 2018 US Open, Schiavone said: "When I was 18 years old, I had two dreams. The first one was to win Roland Garros, and the second one was to become top 10 in the world.

And I completed them, so I'm very, very happy, and lucky."