In pictures: CiCi Bellis shares pictures of her wedding to long time boyfriend Sam Riffice a year after early retirement

Former American tennis player CiCi Bellis recently took to social media to share the news of her marriage to Sam Riffice. The couple tied the knot last month in Orlando, Florida.

Bellis was the 2017 WTA Newcomer of the Year and was ranked 35th in the world by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). However, persistent injuries cut her career short and she announced her retirement in January 2022. A year later, Bellis began her new life as a married woman.

After eight years of dating, CiCi Bellis was proposed to by Riffice in May 2022. Bellis and her partner tied the knot last month, and she has only just shared beautiful photos from their special day a month later.

"07/01/2023," Bellis captioned the post.

CiCi Bellis took early retirement due to persistent injuries

CiCi Bellis at the 2017 Internazionali BNL d'Italia

CiCi Bellis was forced to take a break from competing after her first-round exit from the 2018 Miami Open due to wrist and elbow injuries. She underwent four surgeries throughout the year to address her arm, elbow, and wrist issues.

After a lengthy recovery period, the American returned to action in November 2019 at a Challenger event in Houston. Unfortunately, she was unable to progress beyond the third round.

The former World No. 35 kicked off the 2020 season with a bang, reaching the third round of the Australian Open. After a pandemic-induced hiatus, she stormed back onto the court, making it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Lexington Open. At the US Open, she advanced to the second round and later went on to clinch an ITF tournament title.

Bellis' injury woes resurfaced in 2021, sidelining her yet again. On January 20th, 2022, she finally made the difficult decision to retire from the sport. After a long and arduous battle with her injuries, she decided to hang up her racket and move on to the next chapter of her life.

"Last year after seeing little to no improvement with my arm, I made the decision to stop playing tennis," Bellis wrote.

Since retiring, Bellis has been working full-time as an Investment Analyst for leAd Sports, a venture capital firm designed to support and grow sports and health tech start-ups. She recently graduated with a degree in finance after resuming her studies during her injury break.

Additionally, CiCi Bellis works as a commentator with the Tennis Channel, providing insightful analysis and commentary on the sport she loves. The American made her debut on TC Live with Steve Wiesmann.