After many injuries Elena Baltacha decides to call it a career.
Now 30 years old, the former British no.1 wants to stick to tennis, but as a coach. Elena was ranked world no.49 beating top ten players like Na Li and Francesca Schiavone, but she has never managed to go beyond the third round of a slam.
Elena: My body has taken its toll…
Elena commented “It just feels it’s the right time. My body has taken such a bruising over the last 16 years and that’s finally taken its toll. I have had some amazing experiences through playing tennis – some incredible highs and some very low lows and I wouldn’t change any of them, but now my mind and my body are telling me it’s time to move on to a new phase of my life.”
… I still absolutely love tennis
“I still absolutely love tennis and I want to take that passion and put it into learning to be the best coach I can be so that I can take all my experiences as a player and use that to help develop the next generation of British tennis players.” She added
Judy Murray’s tribute
Andy’s mother commented “Her work ethic and competitive spirit are second to none,” she added. “If we could bottle those qualities, we would have many more top players. She’s the perfect role model for our junior girls and the Fed Cup won’t be the same without her.”
