The former Estonian world number 2 Anett Kontaveit announced on Tuesday that she would retire at the end of the Wimbledon tournament (July 3-16) due to a back injury, after thirteen seasons on the WTA circuit.
“I am announcing today that I will be ending my professional sports career. After several medical visits and consultations with my own medical team, I was told that I was suffering from a degeneration of a lumbar disc”, explains the player on social networks.
“I can no longer train or play competitively at full throttle. This is why I am no longer able to continue to play at the highest level on such a tough circuit, ”she adds. The 27-year-old Estonian, currently No. 79 in the world, reached No. 2 in the WTA in June 2022, a year ago.
She played in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open 2020, her best result in Grand Slams (round of 16 at Roland-Garros 2018, US Open 2015 and 2020). The Estonian specifies that she will make her “last effort as a professional tennis player” in July at Wimbledon, her favorite tournament where she has never passed the third round (reached in 2017, 2018, 2019).
Since her defeat last October in the final in Tallinn – where she was born on December 24, 1995 – she has not passed the second round in eight tournaments, with an elimination in the first round at Roland-Garros.
“Tennis has brought me a lot and taught me a lot, I am very grateful to him. It was very important for me to bring the Estonian flag to the tennis courts and to be able to play in front of my supporters and my fans all over the world,” Kontaveit added on Tuesday, saying she was “ready for new challenges” after this “ last effort” at Wimbledon.
“Sorry to see you go this way. Congratulations on your brilliant career. Everyone will be behind you at Wimbledon”, promised the German player Sabine Lisicki. “Be proud of everything you have accomplished, you will forever be my favorite partner for face time games in quarantine”, assured him the Greek player Maria Sakkari in a nod to the covid period.
“So sad to read this. I wish you the best Anett,” responded World Number 1 Iga Swiatek. “Thanks for the memories, Anett. We can’t wait to see what you will do next”, thanked the WTA, circuit on which Kontaveit won six titles since the first in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2017, until the last in Saint-Petersburg in 2022.