One of the top tennis players in the world is calling it a career. Anett Kontaveit, who reached a career-high No. 2 in the world last year, announced her retirement a the age of 27 due to a degenerative back condition. Her last tournament will be Wimbledon, which will start on July 3.
“Today I am announcing that I am ending my career as a competitive athlete,” Kontaveit wrote in an Instagram post. “After several doctor’s visits and consultations with my medical team, I have been advised that I have lumbar disc degeneration in my back. This does not allow for full-scale training or continued competition. Therefore, it is impossible to continue at the top level in such a highly competitive field. Tennis has given and taught me a lot, and I am very grateful for that. It has been important for me to bring the Estonian flag to the tennis courts and to be able to play in front of my supporters and fans all over the world. I am ready for new challenges after my last effort as a professional tennis player – to enjoy the game and compete as hard as I can at Wimbledon.”
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Kontaveit ended her 2022 season in October and took a two-month break in February to focus on her health, according to ESPN. She is now ranked 79th in the world and has not played since May when she lost in the first round of the French Open. In her career, Kontaveit’s best finish in a Grand Slam was in 2020 when she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She has won 388 matches and six tournaments while on tour.
One of Kontaveit’s notable matches was a loss to Serena Williams at the US Open in September. It was Williams’ final tournament and earned an upset win over Kontaveit who was ranked No. 2 at the time. After the match, Kontaveit got emotional because of how the crowd was showing support for Williams.
“I mean, it was hard … it was something I never experienced before,” she said, per the New York Post. “I don’t think it’s a personal attack against me or anything. I mean, it’s fair. I definitely had no shame losing to Serena. It was very difficult with the crowd.”
