American player Shelby Rogers has announced that the 2024 US Open will be the last tournament of her career.
The main reason for Rogers’ retirement is health-related; the 31-year-old stated she would continue playing tennis forever if her body permitted:
There really aren’t enough words for this moment, but I can confidently say that I have pushed my body to its limits. These last couple of years fighting with injuries and surgeries have been challenging. I always said that if my heart loves it and my body is healthy I would play this sport forever! But now my body is telling me it’s time.
Reflecting on her journey, Rogers shared an emotional message: “When you start playing a sport as a kid, you never think about the ending. You just practice, have fun, and chase your dreams as hard as you can. My dream was to be a professional tennis player, and I can forever tell that little girl we did it!”
The native of Mount Pleasant, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 30 in August 2022, will say goodbye to professional tennis at the 2024 US Open. The American not only made her major main-draw debut at the 2010 US Open, the year she turned pro, but she also achieved a career-defining victory at the 2021 US Open by upsetting then-No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the third round. This…
