Feliciano Lopez announces sudden retirement from professional tennis

Feliciano Lopez, one of the most respected and experienced players in professional tennis, has announced that he will retire from the sport before the start of the 2023 season.

The 41-year-old Spaniard has been a mainstay on the ATP Tour since 1997 and has built an impressive career over the years, with numerous titles and achievements to his name. In 2022, Lopez has played a total of 16 singles matches, winning just one as he increasingly focuses on his business plans and his role as tournament director of the Madrid Open.

Despite his limited playing time, Lopez has remained a popular and respected figure in the tennis world, known for his sportsmanship and professionalism on and off the court.

Throughout her career, Lopez has achieved a number of impressive feats, including reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals three times, a career ranking of No. 12 in the world and a Davis Cup title with Spain in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2019.

As he prepares to hang up his racquet and bid farewell to the ATP Tour, Lopez can look back on a long and successful career that left a lasting impact on the world of tennis. Fans and fellow players will no doubt miss him, but his legacy will live on through his contributions to the sport. He broke the news by sharing a video on his social media.

“Dear friends, the time has come to share with you something that most athletes think will never come. After more than twenty years of competing on the circuit, I have decided to put an end to what has a day that started as an illusion and ended up becoming the most beautiful and exciting work in the world,” Feliciano Lopez said.

“Every tennis player’s dream is to be able to say goodbye on a tennis court and that’s why I’m going to play some tournaments next year to finish my career. The idea is to be able to play some of the tournaments that, for different reasons, have meant something significant over the last twenty years,” he added.

“I always believed there was life after tennis, but as the moment draws closer, I’m starting to realize how much I’m going to miss it. Tennis has given me everything in life, so much more. that this five-year-old boy could have imagined when his father, one Christmas, put a wooden racket in his hand,” Feliciano Lopez said.

“I also want to thank all the people who have helped me achieve my goals and be a better person all these years. There are many of you and you all played an important role at a certain time. You are the main reason why I was able to prolong my career for so long, life is so much more bearable when you surround yourself with special people,” he said.