Former World No.2 Anett Kontaveit has announced she will say goodbye to professional tennis at Wimbledon next month following a 13-year career on the Hologic WTA Tour.
The 27-year-old Estonian has revealed she will take to the court one last time and compete at Wimbledon in July before she hangs up her racket.
"Today I am announcing that I am ending my career as a competitive athlete," Kontaveit said on Instagram. "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.
"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. 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."
Kontaveit made her WTA debut in 2012 and went on to capture six singles titles from 16 finals during her career. She also reached the championship match at the 2021 WTA Finals in Guadalajara and rose to her career-high ranking of No.2 in June of 2022.
The Estonian pulled off a particularly stellar stretch of play at the end of the 2021 season, where she went 29-4 in her last eight events of that year, winning four titles during that period.
Kontaveit's best result at a Grand Slam event was her run to the quarterfinals of the 2020 Australian Open, where she beat Belinda Bencic and Iga Swiatek back-to-back en route to the elite eight. She also made WTA 1000 finals at 2018 Wuhan and 2022 Doha.
