Spanish tennis player Carla Suarez Navarro said on Tuesday that she will retire from the sport at the end of the 2020 season to focus on “other priorities”.
The 31-year-old has slipped to 55th in the WTA rankings, down from a career-high of sixth in 2016.
“I am beginning to have other priorities and tennis is a very demanding sport that requires a lot of sacrifice,” said Suarez Navarro, who has won $11.58 million in career prize money.
“This last year will be a year with the same expectations, just as intense, just as demanding.”
Suarez Navarro has won two WTA singles titles and lost another nine finals, while she has reached Grand Slam quarter-finals seven times without ever making the last four.
“The sport has been a fundamental part of my life - it has given me immense joy and I cannot be more grateful for all the experiences that it has allowed me to live. At this time, I notice that the time has come to complete a beautiful chapter and begin to enjoy other areas of life. Tennis will always be in me,” she said in her farewell message.
“Tennis right now has a very high demand. To be high in the ranking you need absolute consistency, a world-class level of physical conditioning and a 24-hour daily psychological commitment. I have been in high competition for more than 15 years and have lived through these realities since the beginning of my adolescence. These are lessons that have formed me as a person and that will serve me for a lifetime,” Suarez Navarro continued.
“I want to enjoy one last season with the same professionalism as always. I am going to do a quality preparation, my whole team is going to travel with me from the month of January and I plan to compete until the end of the season. My desire is clear: to be proud of this last effort when I reach the end of the road.”
With AFP Inputs