Estonian tennis player and former world number one, Anett Kontaveit, who announced her retirement earlier this year, is set to make a return to the court at the Luxembourg Ladies Tennis Masters, alongside several other former top players.
In the draw announced on Tuesday, Kontaveit is scheduled to face Monica Puig of Puerto Rico, the 2016 Olympic champion, in the opening round of the tournament, which kicks off on Thursday. The Luxembourg Ladies Tennis Masters will bring together a group of accomplished players from the 2000s and 2010s, including Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters and Slovak player Daniela Hantuchova.
Kontaveit and Puig have a competitive history, having met three times in the past, with Kontaveit leading 2-1 in their head-to-head record. The winner of their clash will proceed to the semi-finals, where they will face either Lucie Šafarova from the Czech Republic or Pauline Parmentier of France.
This invitation-only tournament is scheduled to run from October 19 to 22 at the National Sports and Culture Centre d’Coque in Luxembourg City. The event boasts a €50,000 prize purse for the winner and €20,000 for the runner-up.
Kontaveit’s retirement announcement came ahead of this year’s Wimbledon Championships. The 27-year-old Estonian, who had reached the world number one ranking in 2021, cited chronic injuries, particularly to her lumbar discs and left thigh, as a factor in her decision to step away from professional tennis.
Kontaveit is expected to play her final top-level competitive match in November during a testimonial event in Tallinn, where she will face world number seven and two-time Wimbledon runner-up, Ons Jabeur from Tunisia. Tennis fans eagerly anticipate Kontaveit’s return to the court and the chance to see her in action once more.
Anett Kontaveit in 2023
Currently the world no.81, Anett played her last match on the 6th of July when she was defeated by world no.29 Marie Bouzkova 6-1 6-2 in the 2nd round in Wimbledon (draw).
At present, during this year Anett has managed to achieve a 4-8 record.
Anett Kontaveit |
| Embed from Getty Images |
