Olympic Gold Medalist Tennis Player Gets Married in Puerto Rico

An Olympic gold medalist tennis player is a married woman. This past weekend Monica Puig tied the knot with Nathan Rakitt in her native country of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puig went to Instagram to share a post of her in a wedding dress and Rakitt in a tuxedo sharing a kiss with the caption “11/11/22.” Before the wedding, Puig, 29 shared an Instagram post of her showing excitement for the big day. 

“We have reached the end of the countdown!” Puig wrote. “I can’t believe I get to marry this amazing man tomorrow! Nathan, I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you and continue to grow by your side! Ready to jump?!” The couple announced their engagement last October, posting a set of photos from the proposal at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona. As mentioned by PEOPLE, it’s not clear when Puig and Rakitt not clear when the two began dating but Puig began commenting on Rakitt’s social media posts in December 2020. 

Puig had a successful tennis career, winning 303 matches and two tournaments on the tour. When it comes to grand slams, Puig’s highest finish was at Wimbledon in 2013 when she reached the fourth round. Puig won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro becoming the first Puerto Rican in history to win a gold medal in the Olympics while representing Puerto Rico. She also won a silver medal and bronze medal in the 2011 and 2015 Pan American games. 

In June, Puig announced her retirement from tennis due to the multiple injuries she suffered in her career. Today, I announce my retirement from tennis,” Puig wrote in an Instagram post. “After a tough 3-year fight with injuries and 4 surgeries, my body had enough. This decision isn’t an easy one because I would’ve loved to retire on my own terms, but sometimes life has other plans and we have to open new doors that lead to exciting possibilities. I would love to also announce that I will be very much active in the tennis world as a new full-time member of the ESPN family, along with branching out into many other sports that I am passionate about!”