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 American Agassi last waved to the crowd from the court in 2006, he retired as a world legend who had won all four grand slams and Olympic gold. After retiring from ATP tournaments, the 6th most successful tennis player in history disappeared and lived happily with his wife Steffi Graf and their two children.
In the process, he started a charitable foundation that bore his name. He was able to raise $60 million for it. The foundation helped at-risk children. He published a biography called Open in 2009, where he admitted that he kind of allowed himself to ban substances during his career, hinting that it was not uncommon in the tennis world. He occasionally still plays exhibition matches.
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