Several tennis players have been left sad by Anett Kontaveit suddenly announcing her retirement at the age of only 27.
Kontaveit, who was World No. 2 for a few weeks last season, have endured back problems for a while. On Tuesday, June 20, she stated on social media that she would have to quit tennis as a lumbar disc generation would prevent her from competing at a high 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,” Kontaveit wrote on Instagram.
“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.
Kontaveit also stated that Wimbledon would be her final tournament.
“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,” the 27-year-old wrote.
Several tennis players have reacted to Kontaveit’s announcement. Aryna Sabalenka commented on the Estonian’s post with a few emojis including one of shock and sadness, while Emma Raducanu did the same on her Instagram stories.
Sabine Lisicki commented that she was sad to see Anett Kontaveit retire this way and congratulated her on her career while also claiming that everyone would cheer for her at Wimbledon.
“Sorry to see you go this way. Congrats on a brilliant career. Everybody will be cheering for you at Wimbledon,” Lisicki stated.
Other players who expressed their sadness on Anett Kontaveit’s retirement included Ons Jabeur, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Harriet Dart, Naomi Broady, Sania Mirza, Daria Saville, and Katie Boulter.
