Three ATP Players who will probably retire Slam-less
Two weeks ago, Russia’s Elena Dementieva traded in her racket for retirement at the season-ending Doha tournament. Unlike a number of high-profile players, who have retired during the last few years, Demetieva has not been fortunate enough to win a Grand
Slam title. Her retirement raises one vital question among others: which other players will retire within the next couple of years (or less) without lifting a Grand Slam trophy?
In the near future, there are three players from the men’s tour who are likely to drop out of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour, in favour of an easier life with a less hectic schedule. These three players are former German (now American
citizen) Tommy Haas, James Blake of America and Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Tommy Haas
The 32-year-old turned pro in 1996 and is currently languishing in the lower reaches of the ATP ranking line-up, fluctuating in the 300’s. His highest ranking was World Number two, which he reached in May 2002. Although a Grand Slam tournament victory has
eluded Haas, he has made a substantial number of appearances in key matches at the events: he reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in 1999, 2002 and 2007; the fourth round of the French Open in 2002 and 2009; the 2009 Wimbledon semi-finals and the
quarter-finals of the US Open in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
What’s unfortunate is that Haas has, for all practical purposes, no chance of winning a Grand Slam tournament, which is a shame because the player deserves a proper send-off. He may also be retiring from tennis entirely, which is unfortunate because he has
been unlucky to be plagued by injury throughout his career. His former top 10 ranking has fallen dramatically after hip surgery. Although nothing is impossible, a return seems drastically unlikely.
James Blake
The New York resident, who is 30 years old, has ten career titles to his name and occupies the tenth-highest spot in American tennis. However, the age-factor coupled with his current lack of form however, means he could be looking retirement right in the
eye.
The American has been resisting knee injuries all year, but he might succumb soon. His results for 2010 have been mediocre at best and his matches have seemed more like last hurrahs than attempts at a raging comeback.
Blake can be expected to retire at any point now. He too, has had impressive results to his name in some Grand Slams with a 2006 Australian Open quarter-final, a third-round finish in the French Open and Wimbledon and two US Open quarter-final appearances
in 2005, 2006. However, he does seem to be fast approaching the end of his career.
Nikolay Davydenko
This 29-year-old Russian, who might be facing imminent retirement, will probably be missed most on the ATP tour. After turning pro in 1999, Davydenko reached a career-high ranking of fourth in the world last year. His biggest win on the ATP tour also came
in 2009 when he clinched the year-end ATP World Finals Title in London.
Currently ranked at Number 22, Davydenko is one of the few players with a winning record against World Number 1 Rafael Nadal. A combination of age and a wrist injury, which has kept him out of competition for most of 2010, could mean that he is not far off
from retirement. He has always been a contender at Grand Slam events, but has somehow come up short when it counts. However, if he puts in physical therapy and regular practice, he may very well stick around for a few more years.
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