Picture Credit: Twitter
Anett Kontaveit of Estonia on Tuesday, June 20 announced that she would stop playing competitive tennis after the upcoming Wimbledon tournament. Due to an ongoing back and spine problem, the 27-year-old was forced to make this decision to call off her career.
Kontaveit rose to a career best ranking of World No. 2 in June 2022, making her history's highest ranking Estonian player. She is now at No. 79 in the WTA rankings, though. The player claimed that it would be "impossible" for her to continue playing high-intensity tennis with the type of damage she is currently experiencing. Six-time champion Kontaveit posted a lengthy letter on Instagram announcing her retirement.
“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. 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,” part of her message wrote.
She also indicated that she would try her hardest to compete and win at the Wimbledon, which is scheduled to begin from July 3. Kontaveit has so far won Six WTA singles wins, as well as 11 singles and five doubles titles on the ITF circuit.
