greatest retirement of all time

[loosegroove]

For me this is an easy one: Goran Ivanisevic

[loosegroove]

Nevermind, why did I think Goran retired after his Wimby win?

[tbuggle]

this one is easy.

anna pournikova.

[magnut]

I thought Edbergs farewell tour was the best and classiest as he stated it would be his last year and put it on the line in all the majors.

Rafters was horrible as he was pretty much peaking game wise and just took some time off, got lazy, and kept teasing us that he would be back.

Gugas was the saddest as it lasted about 5 years.

Sampras sounds good looking back but people forget that going into 2002 US Open he was determined to play a full schedule in 2003. He basically just cowarded out.

Courier just burnt out and stopped (The Lipton I think)

Chang competed until the end

Agassi's was a gimic

[dannykl]

Originally Posted by Joe Pike

Steffi Graf was more impressive:

Won FO 1999 beating the #2, #3 and #1 player. The final was voted greatest ever open era women's match by fans shortly after.
Went on to make the Wimbledon final 4 few weeks later.
Had to retire injured in her next and last ever match 4 weeks after that.
Ended her glorious career being #3 in the WTA rankings, highest ranking ever for a retiring player.

I still think Steffi retired too early. She was still competitive though not dominant when she decided to retire.

Had she played 2 more years,she probably could even or surprass the grand slam titles record hold by Court.

But still glad to see she enjoy her retirement pretty well.

[Joe Pike]

Originally Posted by dannykl

I still think Steffi retired too early. She was still competitive though not dominant when she decided to retire.

Had she played 2 more years,she probably could even or surprass the grand slam titles record hold by Court.

But still glad to see she enjoy her retirement pretty well.

Steffi knew that she had reached GOAT status after her FO 99 win.
Why continue to play?

[pc1]

Originally Posted by Joe Pike

Steffi knew that she had reached GOAT status after her FO 99 win.
Why continue to play?

I believe she had a lot of injuries also. She accomplished everything so why put up with the pain and suffering to stay number one.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by slice bh compliment

~I hate losing more than I love winning~
-J Connors



He underwrote, played in and contributed to so many good causes without taking an ounce of credit.
He was a Davis Cup stalwart.
He wore his Davis Cup jacket whenever he could, even when it was over 80 degrees.
He looked up to Arthur Ashe.
He took a real stand against apartheid-era South Africa (playing for huge money in Sun City).

Oh, wait a minute. I'm thinking of McEnroe. Never mind.

EDIT:
Back on topic.
Pete Sampras somehow winning his last slam final. The only thing I can think of that might be cooler is to play your last match at the Davis Cup final. And you beat the world no. one in five sets in the fifth rubber. And you drink champale from the Davis Cup with all of your teammates.
EDIT: I wish this for Roger Federer at Davis Cup.

That is a great post.As much an ******* as John was playing, he was also a guy with principles and ethics, a true Democrat New Yorker and a really honest and good faith man.This has nothing to do with antics or opinions as commentator ( which are clearly interested), but if you can think of a man ready to help a cause, he is your man...look at what has he done with his school in New York

Guys like Vitas,Bjorn,Guillermo or Arthur, who knew the inside of Mac, genuinely liked him, he was, above all, a true friend of his friends and an extremely loyal guy ( ask carrillo,Shriver,Fleming,and those mentioned)

[Joe Pike]

Originally Posted by kiki

That is a great post.As much an ******* as John was playing, he was also a guy with principles and ethics, a true Democrat New Yorker and a really honest and good faith man. ...

You mean, like Charles Rangel?

[kiki]

Originally Posted by Joe Pike

You mean, like Charles Rangel?

Who is Charles Rangel? I refeered to John Patrick Mc Enroe I

[Joe Pike]

Originally Posted by kiki

Who is Charles Rangel? I refeered to John Patrick Mc Enroe I

A true Democratic New Yorker.
With ethics problems.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by Joe Pike

A true Democratic New Yorker.
With ethics problems.

Then he is not closer to Mac, who was always a golden heart guy.He´s made a lot of contributions he doesn´t even talk about.

When Steffi´s husband gives a dime to a poor guy in the street, he´s got 100 journalists around him and making a saint off him.

And they call it justice...

[SusanDK]

Originally Posted by magnut

I thought Edbergs farewell tour was the best and classiest as he stated it would be his last year and put it on the line in all the majors.

Plus he played his last tournament / match in his home country where I've read there wasn't a dry eye in the house. A few weeks later, he participated on his last Davis Cup team, also in Sweden, against France. Due to an injury, he didn't play his second singles match but at the conclusion of the tie, was carried on the shoulders of French captain Yannick Noah around the arena.

[Datacipher]

Originally Posted by magnut

I thought Edbergs farewell tour was the best and classiest as he stated it would be his last year and put it on the line in all the majors.

Rafters was horrible as he was pretty much peaking game wise and just took some time off, got lazy, and kept teasing us that he would be back.

Gugas was the saddest as it lasted about 5 years.

Sampras sounds good looking back but people forget that going into 2002 US Open he was determined to play a full schedule in 2003. He basically just cowarded out.

Courier just burnt out and stopped (The Lipton I think)

Chang competed until the end

Agassi's was a gimic

I agree on Agassi (most contrived and painfully pathetic retirement speech...and I was moved until he took the mic!). I agree completely on Edberg....I agree on Chang...agree on Rafter.

I disagree on Sampras...I really don't think he "cowarded" out...he really didn't have much to be "afraid" of except not having AS storybook an ending...but he was very candid about that! He talked about balancing the desire for the fairy-tale ending, with his true desire to keep playing...vs the hard work, and he admitted, that early in 2003, he wasn't sure which was which, and he was just waiting to see if the hunger would come back suffiently to keep going for the wins.

That's what makes the difference to me....he admitted that now he was unsure...and he was hesitating...just not sure if his heart would truly be into keeping it up. I thought it was something any competitor could relate to, and I didn't begrudge him deciding that this was the peak, and he was satisfied. It actually took courage to walk away at that point also...it was realistic decision...he could have pretended to himself that he had the desire....or....just hoped for and easy slam win (which, at the level he was still playing, was quite possible).

[kiki]

Originally Posted by Joe Pike

A true Democratic New Yorker.
With ethics problems.

Any news about those rumoours concerning the DVU and the charming girl?

[SusanDK]

How did Becker retire? Did he announce a planned retirement at a certain date or after a certain tournament, or just fade away?

[Mustard]

Originally Posted by BrooklynNY

Yeah, but as much as I love Connor's grinding out until he is 40, that is something only he can do. I don't think Sampras or even Federer would be able to pull that off, they are too graceful to grind and lose first round after 4th round waiting for the stars to align.

As much as Connors loved winning, he loved the challenge of playing matches even more. The challenge of avoiding a defeat in any given match mattered more to him than the love of winning. That is why his hunger for the game never waned. Had Connors only cared about the winning, there's no way he'd have been out there as a full-time tennis player until the end of 1992 and play his last ATP match in 1996.

[Mustard]

Originally Posted by SusanDK

How did Becker retire? Did he announce a planned retirement at a certain date or after a certain tournament, or just fade away?

Becker publicly said at 1997 Wimbledon after losing to Sampras in the quarter finals that he had "played his last match here", and that he'd only be playing a few more tournaments and wouldn't be playing any majors in 1998. He decided to play the 1997 US Open only to pull out because of the death of his manager, Alex Mayer-Wolden.

Becker carried on playing smaller tournaments, and once the grass-court season came around in 1998, Becker seriously considered entering Wimbledon but decided against it. In the end, after another year of playing smaller tournaments, Becker decided to play 1999 Wimbledon and then retire. After a first round scare against Miles MacLagan, coming back from 2 sets and MPs down in the fourth set, he got to the fourth round where he lost to Patrick Rafter.

[DavaiMarat]

Agassi for sure....
He went out broken but never bent. That last match with Baghadthis was epic. Read 'OPEN' and realize the drama didn't only happen on the court but behind the scenes. Marcos and Andre lying on the physio tables, realizing even that the US open was over for both of them regardless of outcome.

Andre didn't have to come out to play Benji Becker. He wanted to go out swinging and he though the fans deserved it. I've never seen Steffi, the ice queen, in tears.

My vote goes to Agassi.

[Joe Pike]

Originally Posted by DavaiMarat

Agassi for sure....
He went out broken but never bent. That last match with Baghadthis was epic. Read 'OPEN' and realize the drama didn't only happen on the court but behind the scenes. Marcos and Andre lying on the physio tables, realizing even that the US open was over for both of them regardless of outcome.

Andre didn't have to come out to play Benji Becker. He wanted to go out swinging and he though the fans deserved it. I've never seen Steffi, the ice queen, in tears. ...

Then you haven't seen the Wimbledon 1989, FO 1992, FO 1995, FO 1999 finals.
Or the Canadian Open 1994, the German Open 1991 and the Leipzig 1990 finals.
Or the Wimbledon 1984 4th round against Durie.
Just to name a few.