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Former World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit's unexpected retirement announcement has drawn shocked and heartbroken reactions from tennis fans.
On Tuesday, June 20, Kontaveit took to social media and announced her decision to retire from tennis after competing at the upcoming Wimbledon Championships. The former World No. 2 revealed the diagnosis of a degenerative injury to her lumbar disc which rendered it "impossible" for her to compete at the highest level.
"Today I am announcing that I am ending my career as a competitive athlete. After several doctor’s visits and consultations with my medical team, I have been advised that I have lumbar disc degeneration in my back," she wrote on Instagram.
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"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," she added.
Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg commiserated with the 27-year-old over the abrupt end to her career. He also highlighted the "brutal" nature of tennis.
"An abrupt end to the career of Anett Kontaveit, who was ranked #2 at last year's US Open. Brutal sport indeed, and all the best to a player who was a very good citizen of the tour for an unfortunately brief time," Rothenberg tweeted.
A fan disclosed that they were heartbroken by the news, recalling the immediate connection they felt to Kontaveit when they started watching tennis.
"Heartbroken is all I can say. She’s one of the players I fell in love with immediately when I started watching tennis and I’m gonna miss her on tour so dearly. We love you," the fan posted.
"What a cruel sport it can be," another fan chimed in.
Here are a few more fan reactions to Anett Kontaveit's shock retirement:
"I am ready to enjoy the game and compete as hard as I can at Wimbledon" - Anett Kontaveit
Anett Kontaveit expressed her gratitude for the lessons she has learned during her time as a professional tennis player. She also emphasized the significance of representing her country Estonia on the tennis court.
"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," she wrote.
Despite her impending retirement, Kontaveit expressed her determination to compete as well as she could at Wimbledon 2023.
"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," she added.
Over the course of her career, Anett Kontaveit has won six WTA singles titles, and 11 singles and five doubles titles on the ITF circuit. She became the first Estonian to qualify for the WTA finals after a dominant 2021 season which saw her record the most wins on the tour (48, alongside Ons Jabeur).
