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Anett Kontaveit recently celebrated her triumph at the 2023 Luxembourg Ladies Tennis Masters invitational tournament, months after retiring from professional tennis.
In a surprising turn of events, Kontaveit announced her retirement from professional tennis in June due to a degenerative back injury, concluding her career at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
Despite hanging up her racquet, the former World No. 2 has remained active in the sport, recently participating in an invitational tournament in Belgium. The 27-year-old joined other former players like Kim Clijsters and Andrea Petkovic at the event.
Kontaveit entered the event as the second seed and kicked off her campaign with a dominant 6-4, 6-4 win over Monica Puig. The Estonian then defeated former World No. 5 Lucie Safarova in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, securing her spot in the final.
Kontaveit took on Andrea Petkovic in the title clash on Sunday, October 22. The former World No. 2, who enjoyed a perfect 3-0 head-to-head record against Petkovic on the WTA tour, defeated the German 7-5, 6-2 to clinch the title. As a result of her triumph, the 27-year-old earned 50,000 euros in prize money, while the runner-up, Petkovic, received 30,000 euros.
Anett Kontaveit celebrated her victory on social media and offered fans a glimpse into her experience at the event in Luxembourg:
"Hello tennis my old friend 🌚🏆 Thank you @luxladiestennismasters for having me and hosting such an amazing event 🙏🏻🫶🏼," she captioned her Instagram post.
Anett Kontaveit to play close friend Ons Jabeur in farewell match at Tallinn
Following her retirement at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, Anett Kontaveit announced her intention to play her farewell match in her hometown, allowing her fans to share in the occasion:
"Since the last professional match was in London, I actually wanted to play the very last match in front of the home crowd, so that my people could come and live it with me. Such an idea was very close to my heart, and that's how it was put together with the interview event. I think it will be great," she said in a press conference with the Estonian media.
While discussing her choice of opponent, the former World No. 2 disclosed that she instantly thought of Ons Jabeur due to the Tunisian's warm personality and constant support:
"Ons Jabeur was the first person that came to my mind and I would really like to play with at home. She's one of the warmest people on tour and has always been very supportive. I can't think of a better person to have this match with," Anett Kontaveit said.
The Estonian shared that she was pleasantly surprised at Jabeur's immediate acceptance, mentioning that the Tunisian was "very happy" to be invited:
"I was shocked when she immediately said yes without asking any questions. She immediately agreed and was very happy that I asked her that," she added.
The exhibition match between Anett Kontaveit and Ons Jabeur is scheduled to take place in November in Tallinn, Estonia.
