'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAIuZFH//xAAhEAABBAIABwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBgAFERITFSEiMf/aAAgBAQABPwC31eLFl193UQmGne1pkO9SQspWSoj4QcNJkt+g2jqQnxygk8M//8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECIf/aAAgBAgEBPwB3UvGf/8QAGREAAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQATIXGx/9oACAEDAQE/AIZFnAv/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Most athletes across all sports are able to enjoy a lot more time competing at the highest level thanks to modern science and technology. When it comes to tennis, it was quite common for players to walk away from the sport after 12-15 years as a professional.
Martina Navratilova stood out back in the day due to her exceptional longevity, with Roger Federer and Serena Williams being the more recent examples. While the latter two retired recently, some of their peers, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams, are still on the tour.
While some players are able to call it quits on their own terms after a long and fulfilling journey, not all have the same privilege. Injuries often cut short many a promising career, while others chose to prioritize their mental health over the daily grind of the tour.
With that, here's a look at some of the prominent players who hung up their racquets for good this year:
#7 - Mikael Ymer
At just 25 years of age, Ymer is the youngest player on this list of retirees. His career highlights include a third-round showing at three Majors aside from the US Open. The Swede reached a lone final in singles, which came at the 2021 Winston-Salem Open.
Ymer got suspended for violating anti-doping rules in July 2023. He proclaimed his innocence and appealed the verdict, which was upheld later on. He then announced his retirement in August.
#6 - Barbora Strycova
While Strycova's biggest triumphs were in doubles, she carved out a name for herself in singles too. The Czech made it to the semifinals of the 2019 Wimbledon, her first and only time doing so at a Major in singles. She also won a couple of titles and reached another six finals.
Following a 31-title haul in doubles, Strycova decided to retire from the sport in 2021 but left the door open for one final run later on. She returned to action this year and teamed up with Hsieh Su-Wei.
The two won the 2019 Wimbledon together and repeated the feat once again. Strycova's final tournament was the US Open, with a quarterfinal finish in mixed doubles being her best outcome for her.
#5 - Feliciano Lopez
Lopez called time on his two-decade-long career this year. He holds the distinction of having the most consecutive main draw appearances at the Majors, with 79. The Spaniard also featured a record 139 times in the main draw of Masters events, more than any other player.
Lopez won the 2016 French Open in doubles with Marc Lopez and was the runner-up at the 2017 US Open. He won an additional five doubles titles. In singles, he made it to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon on three occasions and accomplished the same at the US Open in 2015.
Lopez won seven titles in singles, that too across all surfaces. He has another 11 runner-up finishes to his name. He also has a couple of wins over No. 1 players, defeating the top-ranked Nadal in 2010 and Djokovic in 2016.
#4 - Anett Kontaveit
Kontaveit turned pro in 2010, but it wasn't until 2017 that she made her mark on the WTA tour. She concluded the year ranked 34th and became a solid presence in the top 30 over the next few years.
Kontaveit gained attention with her brilliant end to the 2021 season. The last four months of the year saw her capture four titles and finish as the runner-up at the WTA Finals. The next year she reached a career-high ranking of No. 2.
Unfortunately, the Estonian also started to have recurring back issues in 2022, which marked the beginning of the end for her. She tried her best, but the pain was too much and hindered her gameplay. Her last professional appearance was at this year's Wimbledon, where she lost in the second round.
#3 - Jack Sock
Sock's greatest success in singles came in 2017 when he won the Paris Masters and concluded the season ranked No. 8. His form took a dip the next year and coupled with injuries, he was never able to replicate the same level of positive results in singles.
Sock's victories in doubles overshadowed his glory in singles. He won three Major titles in men's doubles, along with the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics. He also won the 2011 mixed doubles title at the US Open and the gold medal in the discipline at the 2016 Olympics.
The last few years of Sock's career were plagued by injuries and he didn't compete as much. The 2023 US Open marked the final tournament of his career and he lost in the first round of both the doubles events.
#2 - Samantha Stosur
Having turned pro all the way back in 1999, Stosur decided to conclude her playing days this year. She had already retired from singles last year but continued to play doubles. She said goodbye to tennis in front of her home crowd at the 2023 Australian Open.
Stosur came to the limelight thanks to her initial success in doubles in the mid-2000s. She won the US Open and the French Open in 2005 and 2006 respectively, and attained the top ranking as well.
Stosur's peak in singles was from 2009 to 2012. During this period she reached her maiden Major final at the 2010 French Open. She defeated Serena Williams to capture her first Grand Slam title at the 2011 US Open.
Stosur won nine singles titles along with 28 trophies in women's doubles. She has a total of eight Major titles to her name, with three of them coming in mixed doubles and four in women's doubles.
#1 - John Isner
Following Andy Roddick's retirement, Isner became the face of men's tennis in America. For a while, he was the only male player from the country to perform well on the tour. Following the conclusion of his college career, he began his journey on the ATP tour in 2007.
Isner gained worldwide fame in 2010 due to his marathon match against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon. The contest spanned three days and took just over 11 hours to wrap up with the American coming out on top.
Isner's tall stature made him a strong server and consequently, he has many records related to his serve. He has hit the most aces on the men's tour and also holds the record for most tie-breaks played and won.
Isner has won six Masters titles, but only one of them came in singles. But it was a memorable triumph as he defeated Federer in the final of the 2018 Miami Open. The American's best result at a Major came at Wimbledon when he advanced to the semifinals in 2018.
Isner's final appearance on the tour was at the 2023 US Open, where he bowed out in the second round. He wrapped up his career with 16 titles in singles, with another eight titles in doubles.
