Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo announced her retirement from tennis on Thursday, saying that she no longer desired to compete. The 30-year old Frenchwoman won her Grand Slam titles in 2006 at the Australian Open and in Wimbledon and was the player to beat in 2004 when she reached number one.
Getting older was also one of the reasons for her decision. Mauresmo cited the difficulty of staying on top, saying, “I don’t want to train anymore. I had to make a decision, which became evident in the last few months and weeks. When you grew older, it’s more difficult to stay at the top.” However, she was also thankful for her long career in the sport, which she started in 1993.
“I dreamt of this career, I dreamt of winning a Grand Slam title. I lifted trophies in every city in the world and I lived 10 magical and unbelievable years,” Mauresmo said.
Aside from winning two Grand Slam titles, she also won the FedCup with France in 1993 as well as the silver medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Mauresmo announced the decision soon after winning her 25th singles title in Paris, her first singles title in two years for this season.