Recent Retirements in Professional Tennis
Tennis is a sport that has long been loved by fans around the world. It is filled with brilliant athletes who put in countless hours of hard work and dedication to reach the highest levels of the game. However, every now and then, a great player will decide to retire from the sport and move on to the next phase of their life. Here is a look at who has recently retired from tennis.
Roger Federer
The most notable and perhaps the most heartbreaking retirement from the sport came from Roger Federer. After a long and illustrious career, Federer announced his retirement from professional tennis on June 16th, 2021.
Federer was one of the most successful players in the history of the sport, having won a record 20 Grand Slam titles and 103 ATP singles titles. He was also the first man to win eight Wimbledon titles and was the world number one for a record 310 weeks.
Venus Williams
Another legend of the sport, Venus Williams, announced her retirement from professional tennis on February 28th, 2021.
Williams had a remarkable career, having won seven Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals. She was also the first African American woman to be ranked number one in the world and was a part of the Williams sisters duo that revolutionized the sport in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Andy Murray
Andy Murray announced his retirement from professional tennis on June 13th, 2021.
Murray had an impressive career, having won three Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic gold medals, and was the first British man to become world number one. He was also a two-time Wimbledon champion and was the first British man to win the US Open since 1936.
Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios announced his retirement from professional tennis on August 3rd, 2021.
Kyrgios had a successful and often controversial career, having won seven ATP singles titles and reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He was also known for his outspoken personality and brash behaviour on and off the court.
Juan Martin del Potro
Juan Martin del Potro announced his retirement from professional tennis on June 5th, 2021.
Del Potro had a successful career, having won one Grand Slam singles title, three Masters 1000 titles, and an Olympic silver medal. He was also the first Argentine man to reach a Grand Slam singles final since 1978 and was the first South American man to reach the world number four ranking.
Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka announced her retirement from professional tennis on July 15th, 2021.
Azarenka had an impressive career, having won two Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic medals, and was the world number one for 67 weeks. She was also the first Belarusian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title and the first Belarusian player to reach the world number one ranking.
Gael Monfils
Gael Monfils announced his retirement from professional tennis on August 14th, 2021.
Monfils had a successful career, having won eight ATP singles titles and reaching the semi-finals of the French Open and the US Open. He was also the first French man to reach the world number one ranking in singles and the first French man to reach the top five in singles since 1978.
Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki announced her retirement from professional tennis on February 3rd, 2021.
Wozniacki had a successful and decorated career, having won 30 WTA singles titles, two Grand Slam singles titles, and was the world number one for 71 weeks. She was also the first Danish woman to win a Grand Slam singles title and the first Danish player to reach the world number one ranking.
Fernando Verdasco
Fernando Verdasco announced his retirement from professional tennis on August 11th, 2021.
Verdasco had a successful career, having won seven ATP singles titles and reaching the semi-finals of the French Open. He was also the first Spanish man to reach the world number one ranking in doubles and the first Spanish man to reach the top 10 in singles since Rafael Nadal in 2009.
Notable Other Retirements
In addition to the aforementioned players, there have been several other notable retirements from the sport in recent years. These include:
- Rafael Nadal – Announced his retirement on February 19th, 2021
- Marin Cilic – Announced his retirement on June 12th, 2021
- Stan Wawrinka – Announced his retirement on June 18th, 2021
- Angelique Kerber – Announced her retirement on July 3rd, 2021
- Dominic Thiem – Announced his retirement on July 7th, 2021
- Grigor Dimitrov – Announced his retirement on July 10th, 2021
- Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Announced her retirement on July 13th, 2021
- Serena Williams – Announced her retirement on August 5th, 2021
- Jelena Jankovic – Announced her retirement on August 8th, 2021
- Andy Roddick – Announced his retirement on August 11th, 2021
Conclusion
Tennis is a sport that has seen some of the greatest athletes the world has ever known. Sadly, these athletes will eventually retire from the sport and move on to the next phase of their lives. This year, there have been several notable retirements from professional tennis, including Roger Federer, Venus Williams, Andy Murray, Nick Kyrgios, Juan Martin del Potro, Victoria Azarenka, Gael Monfils, Caroline Wozniacki, Fernando Verdasco, Rafael Nadal, Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka, Angelique Kerber, Dominic Thiem, Grigor Dimitrov, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Serena Williams, Jelena Jankovic, and Andy Roddick.
These players have all contributed greatly to the sport of tennis and will be sorely missed by fans around the world. It is only fitting that we take a moment to honor their accomplishments and thank them for all they have done for the sport.