December 01, (THEWILL) – At the age of 30, Johanna Konta has declared her retirement from professional tennis. The former British number one, who held the position for over six years, announced her retirement on social media, saying she was “grateful” for her time in the sport.
Konta made the semi-finals of the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon, becoming the first British woman to do it in 39 years. She finished fourth in the world for the first time in her career.
“Grateful – this is the word that I’ve probably used the most during my career, and is the word that I feel explains it best at the end. My playing career has come to an end, and I am so incredibly grateful for the career that it turned out to be,” Konta wrote in a statement.
“All the evidence pointed towards me not ‘making it’ in this profession. However my luck materialised in the people that came into my life and impacted my existence in ways that transcended tennis. I am so incredibly grateful for these people you know who you are.
“Through my resilience and the guidance of others, I got to live my dreams.”
Konta, who was born in Sydney, moved to the United Kingdom with her family as a youngster and began her professional career in 2008. After becoming a British citizen in 2012, she began getting Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) support.
Konta has won four WTA singles titles, the most recent of which she claimed in Nottingham in June 2021. She held the title of British number one for five years and 11 months in a row, the longest tenure of any individual since the WTA rankings began in November 1975.
Iain Bates, Head of Women’s Tennis at the LTA reacted to Konta’s retirement by saying: “Johanna is a tremendous inspiration for so many in British Tennis and everyone at the LTA and involved in the sport is immensely proud of what she has achieved.
“It has been a great privilege for me personally to watch her evolve into the player she became. She leaves a legacy of perseverance, determination and professionalism that will be carried forward by the current and next group of players.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
