WTA ‘Golden Set’ star announces retirement from tennis

A player with a unique claim to fame has called time on her career as she walks away from the WTA tour at the age of 34.

Former world number 25 Yaroslava Shvedova is retiring from the WTA tour with a current ranking of world number 426.

Shvedova did not play from the end of 2017 until early 2020 after giving birth and undergoing ankle surgery, returning to the tour with a protected ranking.

The Kazakh star appeared in 38 Slam main draws across her career, making the quarter-finals three times, twice at Roland Garros (2012 and 2010) and once at Wimbledon in 2016.

Shvedova had her greatest successes on the doubles court, claiming the 2010 Wimbledon and US Open doubles titles alongside Vania King, as well as reaching the 2015 French Open final with Casey Dellacqua.

Shvedova also achieved a career-high doubles ranking of number three in the world.

“Golden Set girl” calls it a day 👏

Congratulations @SlavaSays on a brilliant career, we are very happy to see you stay on as Kazakhstan’s captain #BJKCup pic.twitter.com/BTDWTMTHkv

— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) October 1, 2021

Perhaps her most notable singles achievement is that of being one of just a handful of players in the Open Era to win a ‘golden set’. A golden set is when a player wins a set without dropping a point, winning 24 points in a row from the opening of the set.

Shvedova achieved the feat at Wimbledon 2012 when facing Sara Errani, the tournament’s 10th seed, in the third round. The set lasted just 16 minutes. It remains the only golden set ever achieved at a Slam tournament.

She ends her career with a 357-278 win-loss record in singles (56.2%) and one career singles title, in Bangalore, India, back in 2007.