Former World No. 4 and British tennis star Johanna Konta announced on Wednesday that she is retiring from professional tennis.
A little update from me đź‘‹ pic.twitter.com/L1tpjDHW1o— Johanna Konta (@JohannaKonta) December 1, 2021
A little update from me đź‘‹ pic.twitter.com/L1tpjDHW1o
In 2017, Konta became the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in 39 years. In a statement, she said she was “grateful” for her tennis career.
“This is a word that I’ve probably used the most during my career, and this is the word that I feel explains it best at the end,” she said. “My playing career has come to an end and I am so incredibly grateful for the career that it turned out to be.
“All the evidence pointed to 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.”
Konta is regarded as the most successful British women’s player of the past 20 years. Throughout her career, she has reached three Grand Slam semifinals and won the Miami Open in 2017.
Over the past two seasons, however, Konta has struggled with her form and battled injuries, dropping to 113th in the world rankings.
In 2021, she rebounded, winning the WTA title in Nottingham. She had to withdraw from the Olympics and Wimbledon, however, due to COVID-19.
“Through my own resilience and through the guidance from others, I got to live my dreams,” she continued. “I got to become what I wanted and said as a child.
“How incredibly fortunate I count myself to be. How grateful I am.”