Anett Kontaveit entered Wimbledon last year as the second seed having achieved a career-high ranking.
Just 12 months on, the 27-year-old Estonian star is preparing for the final tournament of her career at SW19.
Following extensive medical advice, Kontaveit has decided a chronic back injury will make it “impossible” for her to compete at the highest level.
It is only a year and a half since a phenomenal run of form established Kontaveit, albeit briefly, as one of the most dangerous players in the women’s game.
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Why Is Anett Kontaveit retiring after Wimbledon?
Kontaveit has been troubled by back issues since the final months of 2022. This February, she retired from a second-round match in Abu Dhabi against Shelby Rogers and took two months off in an attempt to remedy the condition.
She returned for the clay court season but lost in straight sets to Bernarda Pera in the first round of the French Open. Kontaveit’s 2023 win/loss record stands at 3-7 and her world ranking has slumped to No. 79. It is not a slide she believes she is physically able to arrest.
“Today I am announcing that I am ending my career as a competitive athlete,” she posted on Instagram. “After…
