Outdone only by Steffi Graf and Monica Seles: Anett Kontaveit's impressive indoor run that lasted from Ostrava to Stuttgart
Former World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit recently announced that she will hang up her tennis boots after the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.
The 27-year-old has won six WTA singles titles during her career. In 2022, Kontaveit attained her career high ranking of No. 2, the best by any Estonian player in history. She was also a runner-up to Garbine Muguruza at the 2021 WTA Finals.
On June 20, Anett Kontaveit revealed on social media that she would retire from the sport after plying her trade at SW19 at the end of the month.
"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.
Although the Estonian has had a disappointing 2023 season, she has a stunning record in WTA indoor tournaments. As things stand, the former World No. 2 has won 22 consecutive matches in indoor tournaments, a record that started at the Ostrava Open in 2021 and ended at the Stuttgart Open in 2022.
Since 1989, Only tennis greats Steffi Graf and Monica Seles are ahead of Kontaveit with 43 and 32 wins, respectively. Meanwhile, tennis legends Justine Henin and Lindsay Davenport also have a streak of 22 wins on the surface.
22 - Only Steffi Graf in 1990 (43) and Monica Seles in 1993 (32) have won more consecutive indoor WTA main draw matches than Anett Kontaveit (22, between Ostrava 2021 and Stuttgart 2022) since 1989. Thank you!
@WTA @WTA_insider @AnettKontaveit_ https://t.co/rODpJPtlVQ
At the 2021 Ostrava Open, Anett Kontaveit defeated four top-10 seeded players (Paula Badosa, Belinda Bencic, Petra Kvitova, Maria Sakkari) to win the title. She beat Sakkari in straight sets in the summit clash to begin her commendable record in indoor tournaments. At the 2021 Kremlin Cup, the Estonian won the title by dropping just one set en route to her title-winning run, scoring wins over the likes of Muguruza and Marketa Vondrousova.
Seeded second at the 2022 Transylvania Open, Kontaveit beat Simona Halep in the final to win the title in Romania. Anett Kontaveit then won the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy by beating the likes of Jelena Ostapenko and Maria Sakkari.
The then-World No. 6's streak of wins came to an end at the 2022 Stuttgart Open, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Anett Kontaveit: Tennis has given and taught me a lot, and I am very grateful for that
Anett Kontaveit's 2023 season was also hampered with injuries. Up against Shelby Rogers at the Abu Dhabi Open, the Estonian was forced to retire midmatch due to a back injury. Eventually, she missed the Qatar Open, the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships, and the BNP Paribas Open, among others.
Announcing her shock retirement from tennis, the 27-year-old expressed her happiness at having had the opportunity to represent her home country on the international stage.
"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," Anett Kontaveit said.