It’s a sad day for tennis as 2 former world no.4s are retiring from tennis. The announcement came from Dominika Cibulkova and Tomas Berdych.
Tomas Berdych
At 34 years of age, the Czech had the idea of announcing his retirement as a surprise at the current ATP Finals on Saturday. However, this surprise was spoiled by the Czech media. Therefore it was Tomas to send a quick announcement on Social Media confirming the facto his retirement.
Tomas had a sensational career despite the fact that he was unlucky enough to compete in the era of the Big3 (or Big4, including Andy Murray). His most significant achievement in singles was winning Paris in 2005. He also was the Wimbledon runner-up back in 2010 when he lost to Rafel Nadal in the final. His best memories were probably back in 2012 and 2013 when he conquered the Davis Cup for 2 consecutive years.
Currently ranked no.103, Tomas has been struggling with a back injury that was the cause of his retirement.
Berdych effectively confirming reports in his homeland that he'll announce his retirement on Saturday at the #NittoATPFinals… https://t.co/7RskWANVTn
— Andy Schooler (@SchoolerSport) November 13, 2019
Dominika Cibulkova
Now only 30, the Slovakian is a former world no.4 that won 8 career titles. Her best season was back in 2016 when she won 4 titles Katowice, Eastbourne, Linz and the prestigious Finals in Singapore. In the same year, she was also the runner-up in Acapulco, Madrid, and Wuhan.
Dominika also impressed at the Australian Open back in 2014 when she reached the final before losing against Na Li 7-6 (3) 6-0. Dominika was an explosive tennis player that was fearless on court despite her tiny size (1.60 cm).
This is her statement on Social Media
“Today, with mixed feelings, I have special news to share with you all. As you know I haven’t been playing tournaments for several months. What started as a recurring Achilles injury, developed into one of the most difficult moments in my life – deciding on what to do with my tennis career. After a lot of thinking, talks, and support from my family, friends, and my team, I have finally decided that I will not be returning to the courts as a competitive player. It is a moment filled with so many feelings – sadness, fear of the unknown, but also the excitement of what life will bring in the future.
I was one of the luckiest kids to stumble upon the road of a tennis player thanks to my wonderful parents and I will be forever grateful for their unconditional support. They did everything possible to keep me moving forward no matter how big the obstacles that stood in the way. I was also very fortunate to have a whole « village » of wonderful people around me who helped shape my career and help me achieve goals and dreams that children dream about.
I am choosing today as the day I announce my retirement from tennis because this is also a day on which my biography is being launched with all of the details about my career. Writing the book was a journey on its own because it also brought lots of emotions and took a significant effort to open up about my personal life. I am honored to share this special book with all my fans. I am looking forward to stepping into the next part of my life and take on new challenges, spend happy times with my family, friends, making new friends, visiting new places, and making new memories. I will miss the support of my fans on the tennis court but will never forget you because tennis will always be a part of me. Pomeeee 😉 New chapter begins now…. ❤️”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4xYyhpH4AE/
Tomas Berdych’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.103, the Czech played his last match on the 26th of August when he lost to Jenson Brooksby 6-1 2-6 6-4 6-4 in the 1st round in U.S. Open.
Tomas Berdych’s best performance of the year was getting to the final in Doha.
Dominika Cibulkova’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.315, the Slovakian played her last match on the 28th of May when she was overcome by Aryna Sabalenka 7-5 6-1 in the 1st round in French Open.
