A year doesn’t go by without a famous player saying goodbye to professional tennis. It’s a difficult step into the unknown for each of them. After years spent on the courts, on airplanes and in hotel rooms, suddenly they have much time on their hands. On the other hand, many of them don’t get bored in their sporting retirement.
When the American Andy Roddick said goodbye to tennis years ago, it was such a surprise that no one even asked what he wanted to do when he stopped circumnavigating the world of tennis courts. He declared that his dog would be the happiest about the decision.
Andy isn’t bored in retirement, however. Even as an active player, he was heavily involved in charitable organizations and hadn’t stopped even after the clay had been nipping at his heels. He also plays golf and is a regular commentator for various TV stations on the most important tennis tournaments.
Roddick is neither the first nor the last tennis player to deal with a new life. The following are 5 famous players and their “retirement” stories. Stay tuned!
When the Russian Marat Safin defeated Pete Sampras in 2000, it shocked the sporting world. Former world number one said goodbye to his professional career in 2009 after a series of protracted injuries. Once he closed the door behind him, tennis seemed to cease to exist for him.
“I could shoot commercials and pretend to be a celebrity, but it’s not my style,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald in an interview. He threw himself into politics instead. He was elected a member of the Russian parliament for Nizhny Novgorod in 2011, while Pete Sampras predicted he would become Russia’s president in 20 years. He was the first Russian to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2016 and resigned his political post a year later.