Andreas Seppi announces sudden retirement from professional tennis
ATP
Andreas Seppi enjoyed a lengthy tennis career, and after 20 years on the ATP Tour, he has decided to announce his retirement from professional tennis.
The Italian player started playing professionally back in 2001, and over the two decades on the ATP Tour, he has entertained fans around the world, gaining thousands of fans.
Seppi reached the second week at every Grand Slam tournament apart from the US Open, and in 2013, he reached his career-high 18th place in the ATP Rankings.
Despite never getting past the fourth round at majors, he managed to win three ATP titles and defeated the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Lleyton Hewitt.
Now, after twenty years of a fruitful career, Seppi announced that the ATP Challenger tournament in Ortisei will be his last. After finishing in the top 100 every year since 2005, the Italian ended the 2020 season ranked 106th and last year as the World No. 102 player.
This year, his rankings dropped to the 257th position. Seppi lost 18 matches out of 33 played. It seemed that the 38-year-old player didn't enjoy his time on the tennis courts as much in recent years, which is why he has likely decided to end his career.
Still, his announcement seemed to be very sudden, as there was no previous indication that he could end his tennis career. At the same time, since Seppi is already 38 years old, it was expected that he would end his career sooner rather than later. He announced his retirement through a post on social media.
"It’s been a difficult season, especially in terms of my physical condition. Many ailments and little continuity. I realized that my body can no longer bear certain efforts and I have decided that the tournament in Ortisei will be my last one as a professional."
