Kevin Anderson, two-time Grand Slam finalist and former world number 5, will retire from sport at the age of 35, he announced on Twitter on Tuesday. The South African was the best tennis player on the continent during his 15-year career.
” Today, I finally came to make the difficult decision to leave professional tennis. “It is in a message on Twitter, written in white on a black background, that the best African tennis player of the last twenty years announced his retirement, this May 3, 2022. That is to say fifteen years after his professional debut.
Kevin Anderson, these are two finals lost in the Grand Slam: the US Open 2017 against the Spaniard Rafael Nadal then that of Wimbledon 2018 against the Serbian Novak Djokovic. It is also a 5th place in the world ranking of players (ATP), reached for the first time in July 2018. The South African notably managed to remain ranked in the Top 10 ATP between the beginning of 2018 and the summer of 2019.
Standing 203 centimeters tall, the Johannesburg native delivered devastating serves that also saw him claim seven singles and one doubles titles.
Diminished by injuries
However, victim of several injuries and forced to undergo surgical operations, Kevin Anderson gradually declined. He is now 107th in the world. At 35, the player therefore preferred to close this chapter of his life. ” I have been through so many different challenges and emotions; this sport can be exhilarating and lonely at the same time. I’ve had ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change them for the world. My journey helped me become the man I am today “, he concludes.