LONDON –
British tennis player Johanna Konta announced her retirement on Wednesday, saying: “I’m just out of breath.”
30-year-old Konta ranked high in 4th place and is a 4-time WTA champion.
She became the first British woman to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon in 39 years when she reached that round in 2017. She has also reached the semifinals at the Australian Open (2016) and French Open (2019).
Konta made her announcement on social media, saying she’s grateful to have been able to “live my dream”.
In an interview on the WTA website, Konta said she doesn’t have the energy to train hard to maintain her status as a top sport.
“For me, it’s just about putting my emotional, mental and physical body in a position to put in the energy and work to be able to do it,” says Konta. “That’s the link to being able to convince yourself to be in pain. I just need to run out of breath for it.”
In his own statement, Konta said “all the evidence points to me not “doing” it in this profession.”
“However, my luck has materialized in people who have entered my life and impacted my existence in ways that extend far beyond tennis,” she wrote. “I am extremely grateful to these people. You know who you are.”
Australian-born Konta finished the year at 113.
