Top Tennis Stars Who Left The Court Early

By Toby T

While retirement from tennis is entirely the player’s choice, some retirements have left the world reeling and shocked. Many reasons could cause such early or shocking retirements, and a major one is an injury.

Injuries are part of virtually all sport, and while tennis might not be a contact sport like soccer or rugby, many tennis stars have still been forced to leave the court early due to injuries. Apart from injuries, there are other reasons which stars may or may not disclose.

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Here is a list of some of the early and shocking retirements from the courts that have happened in the history of tennis:

By the age of 20, Kim was already an outstanding and dominant player. She was world No.1 and regularly appeared at grand slam finals before winning her first grand slam final at age 22. She then announced her surprise retirement in 2007, at age 23, due to injuries and a need to concentrate on her personal life. She eventually came back, won three titles, and then bowed out again for good.

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This retirement also shocked the world, especially since she had just won the French Open and was ranked No.3 globally. Although she was 30 years, many still felt she left too early. However, she stated that she wasn’t having fun anymore, so she had no choice but to leave.

She was 22 and had won 5 Grand Slams titles already when she called it quits. She struggled with injuries and the rise of stars who threw her off. In her words, while speaking to BBC sports, she said: “When you have been world number one for four years, you cannot content yourself with less.”