Former Roland Garros champion announces retirement due to ‘health issues’
Ryan Harrison has announced that he will be retiring from tennis, with the former Roland Garros champion struggling with ‘health issues over the last few years’.
Harrison, who has a career-high singles ranking of No.40, only played 13 matches last year that were primarily on the Challenger tour.
The American has not played a main draw singles match on the ATP Tour since 2021, with Harrison finishing his career ranked world No.847.
The 31-year-old underwent surgery at the end of 2019 to repair a torn right extensor tendon, but has not been able to rediscover the same form since.
And now Harrison has released a statement detailing his retirement on Instagram, “With the New Year kicking off it starts a new chapter in my life. After a long battle with health issues over the last few years, the time has come for me to put an end to my playing career.”
He continued, “I couldn’t be more grateful for the moments I had on court. Representing the USA in both Davis Cup and the Olympics in singles and doubles will always be some of the proudest moments of my life.
“So many other great memories… Winning the French Open alongside my good friend Michael Venus who I grew up with. Qualifying for the ATP Finals in London at the O2 Arena.”
Harrison won one ATP singles title at the Memphis Open back in 2017, the same year that he also became a Grand Slam champion at Roland Garros alongside the aforementioned Michael Venus.
Victory for @ryanharrison92 & Michael Venus!
Their first Major title together! #RG17 pic.twitter.com/TBgx1ABUpN
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 10, 2017
In 2008, when Harrison was only 15, he made history by becoming the third youngest player since 1990 (only Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet were younger) to win a main draw ATP match at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships against Pablo Cuevas.
In his statement on Instagram, Harrison continued to thank those that have supported him, “Of course all of this could not have been done without the sacrifices and support of so many people along the way. To all the fans who supported me, thank you. The love I felt through many hard fought battles will stay with me forever.
“To all the coaches, trainers, physio’s, agents and doctors who helped me along the way… thank you for you all for your hard work and belief in me. To my friends and loved ones who always had my back, you guys are loved and appreciated. Your support gave me the strength to push on and give my very best even when I didn’t think I had anything left.”
Harrison concluded, “To my parents – I love you guys and can’t thank you enough. The sacrifices you made so that I could pursue this dream are unimaginable. You guys selflessly put all of us first.. You guys made my dream come true. We did it. Thank you.”
Inside the baseline…
Ryan Harrison may not have had a major presence on the tennis circuit in recent years, but he still managed to achieve some great things in his career. It is such a shame that health issues have got in the way of another career flourishing to its full potential, but it just shows how much you have to appreciate your favourite players while they are active, as one major injury or health concern could be just around the corner.
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