Players that retired on their own terms.

I

insideguy

G.O.A.T.
I was just thinking with this whole Nadal thing, and Fed as well, also even Serena.

What players do you feel went out not necessarily on top but left before the were just messed up or stinking.

The most famous of course is Borg. And Graf although she had a terrible back was still playing well. Any others come to mind?
 
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soldat

soldat

Rookie
insideguy said:
I was just thinking with this whole Nadal thing, and Fed as well, also even Serena.

What players do you feel went out not necessarily on top but left before the were just messed up or stinking.

The most famous of course is Borg. And Graf although she had a terrible back was still playing well. Any others come to mind?
Click to expand...

My first thought was Sampras, didn't he like retire right after he won the US open?
 
Tshooter

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
insideguy said:
I was just thinking with this whole Nadal thing, and Fed as well, also even Serena.

What players do you feel went out not necessarily on top but left before the were just messed up or stinking.

The most famous of course is Borg. And Graf although she had a terrible back was still playing well. Any others come to mind?
Click to expand...
Pete went out after winning a major. Borg went out after losing a major (then he un-retired but that was a disaster). Pete is the model in modern times for going out on top. Which I know is not what OP was asking which was out before stinking it up or injured.
 
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Rosstour

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
insideguy said:
Yea I dont think he hung it up right after but that is a good one.
Click to expand...

He waited for a year to tell us what he was doing.

He won the 02 US and then stayed completely silent, not entering any tournaments.

Imagine if a player did that today. Moreover, imagine if that was how Fed finished. Can you imagine the criticism?
 
I

insideguy

G.O.A.T.
Rosstour said:
He waited for a year to tell us what he was doing.

He won the 02 US and then stayed completely silent, not entering any tournaments.

Imagine if a player did that today. Moreover, imagine if that was how Fed finished. Can you imagine the criticism?
Click to expand...
Yea but if ya think about it. That was textbook Pete:cool:
 
Tshooter

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
Rosstour said:
He waited for a year to tell us what he was doing.

He won the 02 US and then stayed completely silent, not entering any tournaments.

Imagine if a player did that today. Moreover, imagine if that was how Fed finished. Can you imagine the criticism?
Click to expand...
The opposite of Chang who milked it for a year.
 
Rosstour

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
insideguy said:
Yea but if ya think about it. That was textbook Pete:cool:
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Yes and I am not a fan of his personality or selfishness

He had so much to give back to the game, instead he flipped it the bird and became a recluse because they wouldn't pay up
 
Tshooter

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
Rosstour said:
Yes and I am not a fan of his personality or selfishness

He had so much to give back to the game, instead he flipped it the bird and became a recluse because they wouldn't pay up
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Maybe he just had enough after living tennis his entire life?
 
I

insideguy

G.O.A.T.
Rosstour said:
Yes and I am not a fan of his personality or selfishness

He had so much to give back to the game, instead he flipped it the bird and became a recluse because they wouldn't pay up
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True. Although there are great ones in other sports who do the same. He was just in an individual sport so its even more magnified.
 
Tshooter

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
Holmes said:
Roger decided to retire at Laver's Cup, 'Dre announced early in '06 it'd be his last year, and Andy did Andy.
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I don’t follow. I thought the question was who left before they really dropped off a cliff from injuries or otherwise. Only Pete of those four.
 
Holmes

Holmes

Hall of Fame
Tshooter said:
I don’t follow. I thought the question was who left before they really dropped off a cliff from injuries or otherwise. Only Pete of those four.
Click to expand...
Roger was still playing well at Laver cup and might have recovered if he'd intended. Andy didn't have any obvious issues. 'Dre did but it was his own terms, announcing at the start of the year and such.
 
I

insideguy

G.O.A.T.
Holmes said:
Roger was still playing well at Laver cup and might have recovered if he'd intended. Andy didn't have any obvious issues. 'Dre did but it was his own terms, announcing at the start of the year and such.
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Im sorry man. I just dont see Roger fitting into this category. He wasnt fading he just crashed. He didnt go out on his terms. He just went to the end of where his body could go.
 
I

insideguy

G.O.A.T.
Its interesting especially for the top guys and its how we think of stuff. If you think about a team sport, Baseball, Soccer, American Football, Basketball whatever.

You can be a former great but contribute in so many ways to a team.

When you are on your own and exposed it has to be rough.
 
Aussie Darcy

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
No mention of the most recent one?

#1 Player who wins the Australian Open, the first Aussie to do so in 44 years then 2 months later drops a bomb and retires from the sport at the ripe old age of 25?

3430733f224ec2772851b5c5cce79564
 
M

mikej

Hall of Fame
pete and agassi both had great exits in their own way

pete went out with a GS win

andre went out with the best on-court retirement speech i've seen in my lifetime - short, sweet, connected beautifully with the fans

 
Rosstour

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
Arak said:
That was embarrassing really.
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And no one talks about it tarnishing his legacy

But Fed taking a bagel in his last ever match, which was a Major QF? Total loser, no heart

Someone get me Borg's record and the tournaments he played during the comeback
 
I

insideguy

G.O.A.T.
Aussie Darcy said:
No mention of the most recent one?

#1 Player who wins the Australian Open, the first Aussie to do so in 44 years then 2 months later drops a bomb and retires from the sport at the ripe old age of 25?

3430733f224ec2772851b5c5cce79564
Click to expand...
The thing is and you are 100 percent correct. She and Pete and Borg are interesting in this area.

They went out especially her and Pete as champs. Different category. I think what I was thinking, when I created this was people like Andy or Ferrer or others that were still able to get decent results and said eh screw it.

But no shade great post.
 
Aussie Darcy

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
insideguy said:
OH man I am a dummy. Thumbs up.
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Nah you're not! You said not necessarily going out on top and Barty was at the pinnacle when she went out, also thread is more about the male side of the tour.

It's happened a fair bit on the women's side though.

Flavia Pennetta is another one, won the US Open in 2015 (albeit at the age of 33), announced her retirement in the victory speech but then clarified she would play out the rest of the year. Last tournament was the WTA Finals losing to Sharapova and Halep but defeating Radwanska.

Li Na. Won the 2014 Aus Open, unfortunately got some injuries and ended up retiring later that same year.

A number of others had just 1 or 2 bad years but were still in the top 30 but called it quits cause it wasn't their top 10 best tennis, these include Radwanska, Cibulkova and Safina. They saw the writing on the wall and called it quits instead of being like Sara Errani who 12 years since her French Open final is still grinding it out in qualifying in Indian Wells.
 
I

insideguy

G.O.A.T.
Aussie Darcy said:
Nah you're not! You said not necessarily going out on top and Barty was at the pinnacle when she went out, also thread is more about the male side of the tour.

It's happened a fair bit on the women's side though.

Flavia Pennetta is another one, won the US Open in 2015 (albeit at the age of 33), announced her retirement in the victory speech but then clarified she would play out the rest of the year. Last tournament was the WTA Finals losing to Sharapova and Halep but defeating Radwanska.

Li Na. Won the 2014 Aus Open, unfortunately got some injuries and ended up retiring later that same year.

A number of others had just 1 or 2 bad years but were still in the top 30 but called it quits cause it wasn't their top 10 best tennis, these include Radwanska, Cibulkova and Safina. They saw the writing on the wall and called it quits instead of being like Sara Errani who 12 years since her French Open final is still grinding it out in qualifying in Indian Wells.
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Pennetta another really good one. Great example.

I think what has happened lately is whether it is Rafa or Roger or Serena in this category, they were chasing records.

These others we are talking about, were just good players saying man I am done even if I can beat 75 percent of the tour most of the time.
 
G

Gizo

Hall of Fame
Evert was ranked at the world no. 4 when she retired in October 1989, winning 9 out of her last 10 matches, including each of her last 5.

In her second to last tournament, her big farewell at the US Open she destroyed the rising star Seles in the 4th around before losing to Garrison in the quarter-finals.

Then in her last tournament, she helped the USA win the Federation Cup in Tokyo, conceding 14 games across her her 5 matches. Because she knew that was her swansong, she was able to relax and enjoy it all.
 
weakera

weakera

Talk Tennis Guru
Of course Michael Phelps comes to mind. People thought that Phelps was getting old at London 2012, to even perform in Rio 2016 at age 31 (ancient for an elite swimmer) let alone win another 5 gold including gold and a world record in his final race, utterly spectacular. He set several breathtaking longevity records during those games.

In Tennis, Graf ended as an elite player having won the French and made the Finals at Wimbledon just before her retirement.
 
PDJ

PDJ

G.O.A.T.
insideguy said:
I was just thinking with this whole Nadal thing, and Fed as well, also even Serena.

What players do you feel went out not necessarily on top but left before the were just messed up or stinking.

The most famous of course is Borg. And Graf although she had a terrible back was still playing well. Any others come to mind?
Click to expand...
Evert.
She herself said she could remain Top Ten for a few more years but felt the time was right. Plus she wanted to have children.
And she did go out on a high winning the Federation Cup.
 
vive le beau jeu !

vive le beau jeu !

Talk Tennis Guru
Musterrific said:
Edberg did a year long retirement tour in 1996 when he was still playing at a semi-decent level.
Click to expand...
becker took his time, between 1997 and 1999 (including a few almost successful clay tournaments in 1998), but also kinda did it in his own terms...

I'd also add mcenroe to the list.

rafter was a bit similar to edberg, both being caught up by their respective injuries in DC finals... but i think it was more frustrating for rafter as he would have had the opportunity to play escudé in the decisive tie (and very likely win).
 
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T

thrust

Legend
Rosstour said:
He waited for a year to tell us what he was doing.

He won the 02 US and then stayed completely silent, not entering any tournaments.

Imagine if a player did that today. Moreover, imagine if that was how Fed finished. Can you imagine the criticism?
Click to expand...
What was wrong with the way Pete retired? Roger wanted a farewell tour or a big event to retire, Pete retired quietly after realizing his body did not have the energy to be a top player anymore. Pete didn't need the applause and adulation that Roger, Agassi and Rafa seem to crave.
 
nolefam_2024

nolefam_2024

G.O.A.T.
thrust said:
What was wrong with the way Pete retired? Roger wanted a farewell tour or a big event to retire, Pete retired quietly after realizing his body did not have the energy to be a top player anymore. Pete didn't need the applause and adulation that Roger, Agassi and Rafa seem to crave.
Click to expand...
It seems what was wrong is open to all as early as 2009 RG. It was too early.
 
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