2024, the year of retirements in the world of tennis

Streaming Australian Open Asia-Pacific WC Women WD live tennis

🎾 Plipuech/Tsao vs Tang/Zheng

* You can watch and bet on this match live here..

The 2024 season has been absolutely plagued by retirements. While Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz's dominance on the ATP circuit, along with the top ten's consistency in major titles on the WTA circuit, have laid the groundwork for a new era in tennis, the farewell of players we have lived with in recent decades has reinforced the new paradigm of world tennis. Up to five Grand Slam champions in singles have hung up their rackets this year, a clear sign of new times and cause for analysis and, of course, celebration.

It has been a year of special impact and imprint in Spanish tennis. We have seen farewell to Rafael Nadal, with a bittersweet farewell after a year where he never translated the good sensations from training to competition. It was a season marked by the last injury suffered in Brisbane, where he fell to Jordan Thompson, which ended up being the beginning of the end. His 2024 humanizes him in a way, bringing us closer to a figure about whom we always thought there was still one last trick up his sleeve.

It is the highest-profile retirement in the tennis world, the one that received the most attention, and probably the one that we will still struggle to digest... but we also saw our last Grand Slam female champion leave us. She did it, on the contrary, away from the court, without much fuss, within the framework of a new life away from the courts. Garbiñe Muguruza is relatively young, but her mindset changed a long time ago: this 2024 simply formalized it, demonstrating that her happiness lies in the new chapters she writes, far from seeking new conquests.

MURRAY AND THIEM, FAREWELL TO THE ARMYMEN OF THE BIG THREE

Our hearts were also touched by the farewells of two names that have made us get up from the couch numerous times. Andy Murray will continue to be linked to the tennis world as Novak Djokovic's coach, but before that, he had time to close the curtain representing his country at the Olympics. His body prevented the dream farewell with a final adventure at Wimbledon, plagued by a back injury that spoiled the perfect ending. As Rafa said, you know, fantasy endings only exist in Hollywood movies...

Although perhaps Dominic Thiem would disagree with that statement. The prince who once prevailed over the Big Three said goodbye at home, in front of his people, with a Vienna tournament that poured out to give him the affection he deserves in his final performance. Another example of retirement due to an injury, in the right wrist, that never allowed him to regain the strength that gave power to his game. He tried until the end, but at 31, he had ceased to be competitive a while back.

MANY MORE RETIREMENTS... THOUGH NOT AS WELL-KNOWN

Perhaps these four farewells received the most attention, but there has been a significant battalion of names that we will no longer see in major tournaments. In Latin America, several endings stand out: that of Pablo Cuevas, a racket magician still pursuing a final tribute match in his native Montevideo, or that of Federico Delbonis, the 'Burruchaga' from Argentina's memorable Davis Cup and a player with the most peculiar serving mechanics in recent decades.

There were also farewells to names that once promised new glories for the United States but ended up as unfulfilled potential: Ryan Harrison and Donald Young, turned into tennis journeymen after being great prospects. Not only that: we witnessed the exits of two names remembered for their great upsets at Grand Slams, John Millman (who defeated Federer at the US Open 2018 and later engaged in a memorable duel in Australia 2020) and especially Lukas Rosol, the man who initiated a dark period for Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon after defeating him in one of the biggest upsets in the history of this sport.

In addition, the giant Ivo Karlovic, who had not played since 2022, put an end to his tennis path; he was joined by other familiar faces on the circuit such as Joao Sousa, the best Portuguese racket of all time; Filip Krajinovic, a classic and elegant player who surprisingly leaves without any ATP titles in his cabinet; or Steve Johnson, who built a very commendable career despite having an almost non-existent two-handed backhand (he sliced everything).

IN DOUBLES AND ON THE WOMEN'S CIRCUIT, FAREWELLS THAT FILL US WITH NOSTALGIA

And hold on, because if we claim that 2024 is the year of retirements, it is not without ample reason. In the women's circuit, there is another significant retirement that deserves special mention: that of Angelique Kerber, an example of work ethic and tenacity who eventually reached the top of the world after many years in the circuit trenches. The Wimbledon champion decided to retire just after the Olympics, becoming the fifth Major champion to announce her retirement this year.

This year marked the end of the road for other familiar faces on the women's circuit: perennial underdogs in high-profile tournaments like Alizé Cornet or Camila Giorgi, others who had their moments of glory in Majors like Shelby Rogers or Alisson Van Uytvanck, and others who added color to the top 100 of the circuit for many years, such as Belarusian Vera Lapko, Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva (who retires at just 27 years old), or Hungarian Reca Luka Jani.

Lastly, doubles players also have their place in this sort of farewell message. Led by, of course, a Wesley Koolhof who could well have years of tennis left but will prioritize his family life with Julia Goerges after a successful Grand Slam career; Aisam ul-Haq Qureshi, Pakistan's greatest racket and who embarked on a wonderful journey to promote peace alongside Indian Rohan Bopanna (many will remember the times of the PaqIndo Express, a loudspeaker for reconciliation in a region of conflicts); Artem Sitak, a New Zealander with a great touch and several circuit titles; Philipp Oswald, an Austrian with up to eleven titles; and Ben McIachlan, who won seven titles representing Japan despite being born in New Zealand.

You know what's the best part? As a bonus track, many more names could still be added: Tatsuma Ito, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Roman Jebavy, Alexa Glatch, Alexa Guarachi, Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove, Raluca Olaru, Attila Balazs... as you can see, 2024 has been a year in which we have concluded many stories to open many new ones ahead with hope and joy in the future. Let's toast to these new stories being as golden as those brought to us by these names.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, 2024, el año de las retiradas en el mundo del tenis