Emma Raducanu, Aryna Sabalenka, Sabine Lisicki & other tennis players react to Anett Kontaveit's retirement
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.
Anett Kontaveit won six titles throughout her career
Anett Kontaveit won six singles title throughout her career, which included three at the WTA 500 level, including her last tournament win which came at Saint Petersburg last year.
The Estonian also made it to the final of the WTA 1000 event in Doha last year and the 2021 WTA Finals, which is perhaps her most notable achievement. She reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2 and her best performance at a Grand Slam was reaching the quarterfinals of the 2020 Australian Open.
Kontaveit has had a pretty disappointing 2023 season so far, with just three wins out of 10 matches. Her last appearance on the WTA tour came at the French Open, where she suffered a 7-6(6), 6-2 defeat to Bernarda Pera at the opening round.
The Estonian is currently 79th in the WTA rankings.