The 32-year-old Russian-born player wrote in the pages of Vanity Fair magazine a love letter to the sport that made her one of the world’s most famous female athletes since the turn of the century,
“How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known? How do you walk away from the courts you’ve trained on since you were a little girl, the game that you love — one which brought you untold tears and unspeakable joys—a sport where you found a family, along with fans who rallied behind you for more than 28 years?” she wrote.
“I’m new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis — I’m saying goodbye.”
