A look at surprising retirements in Tennis

With the hugely surprising announcement of Marion Bartoli’s retirement overnight, its worth taking a look at other retirements that have surprised the world of tennis and sport in recent times. 

But not only shock retirements it is also worth considering players who were big stars and major winners but kind of disappeared from the limelight almost overnight.

In looking at players who retired suddenly, certain themes keep re-occurring.  They started their career at the top at a very early age, they suffered a lot of stress due to constant traveling, they found it hard to deal with tough losses, and they often failed to sparkle in their comebacks.

Gabriela Sabatini

Sabatini retired in 1996 at the age of 26 which is a crazily young age.  But by the time of her retirement, she had already been a professional for 11 years having turned professional in the mid 1980s.  Sabatini won the US Open in 1990 defeating Steffi Graf in straight sets.  She then had the opportunity to win Wimbledon in 1991, having served for the match against Graf but was unable to see it through and lost 8-6 in the third set.  Sabatini had a successful career, including a couple of Italian Opens, WTA masters victory and 27 tiles overall.

The big problem as far as I can see is that Sabatini was playing French Open semifinals at the age of 15 when most girls are still at school.  And by the age of 26, the stress of continual playing, travelling combined with some incredible losses at the French Open when she was in incredibly strong positions meant that Sabatini had nothing left to give at an age when players should be coming into their prime.

Mats Wilander

Mats Wilander retired in 1996, but was literally off the tennis radar by 1990 at the age of 25.  By this stage, Mats had won seven major titles including three majors in one year in 1988 and grabbing the number 1 ranking.  Wilander was also the youngest winner of the French Open in 1982 at 17 years and 9 months (Chang took that distinction in 1989 when he won aged 17 years and 3 months).  Mats won majors on grass and rebound ace at the Australian Open, clay at the French Open and hardcourts at the US Open.

Wilander played a style that relied on defence, patience, counterpunching and athleticism.  He wouldn’t blow an opponent away with a barrage of aces and winners but could play all day and wear his opponents down, hence his great French Open record with three titles and four finals there.  Interestingly, Wilander is hardly ever mentioned in the British media when it comes to the great players from that era like Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl.  One reason for that could be he never made a big impression at Wimbledon, which would be unfair but that’s reality.

Justine Henin

Justine Henin retired unexpectedly in 2008 after having her best year to date in 2007 winning two major titles, defending her end year WTA title and consolidating her position as clear number 1 in the world.  One of Henin's most impressive feats of 2007 was to beat Serena Williams in the quarterfinal of the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open back to back. However, after a very surprising defeat to Sharapova at the Australian Open in 2008, where she got “bagelled” in the second set, and then struggles in the hardcourt and clay season. 

Henin announced her retirement before the French Open at the age of 25 years and 11 months, even though she was three time defending champion and red hot favourite. 

Henin came back for a brief period in 2010 but despite getting to the final of the Australian Open (losing to Serena Williams), never looked the same player and was forced to retire again after sustaining a freak elbow injury against Kim Clijsters at Wimbledon.

Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis retired in 2002 at the age of 22 after losing three Australian Open finals in a row, two to Jennifer Capriati.  Hingis won her last major title in January 1999 when she beat Amelie Mauresmo in the final of the Australian Open.

Hingis was good enough to beat the lesser players but was continually frustrated at the latter stages of major tournaments by Venus and Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati and Mary Pierce.  Martina retired citing a chronic condition in her both of her ankles, but the memo is that the decision was also hastened somewhat by continual defeats at the hands of the “big hitters”.

Hingis returned in 2006 and was doing ok, winning the Italian Open and Tokyo, but was forced into retirement for a second time in 2007 in equally dramatic fashion after failing a drugs test for cocaine metabolites; the sample was miniscule but enough to cause a worldwide sensation.  Hingis’ last grand slam tournament was a defeat to Victoria Azrenka at the US Open.

Bjorn Borg

Bjorn Borg won six French Open titles and five Wimbledons at the age of 26 which is a phenomenal record.  Borg also played in four US Open finals but lost all four of them, two of those to John McEnroe in 1980 and 1981.

The 1981 US Open final defeat seemed to be the last straw, having relinquished his Wimbledon title to the same player two months earlier.  After the final, Borg left the stadium through the back door, before the ceremonies and press conference took place, as paparazzi sought to track him down.  

Borg retired in early 1982 at the age of 26 although he did play a couple of matches in 1982 and 1983 in Monte Carlo.  As with so many names mentioned here, his retirement was a huge surprise at the time.  And with so many other players mentioned, Borg staged a comeback ten years later in 1992, still sporting a wooden racquet.  However, times had moved on and it would have been impossible to win a match with such old technology when so many players were capable of serving 130 mph with graphite racquets!