San Juan (Puerto Rico): Rio Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig has announced her retirement from the sport, citing injuries as the main reason for her decision.
Puig reached a career-high ranking of 27th on the WTA Tour in 2016 and won her only red clay title in Strasbourg in 2014.
The highlight of Puig’s career came during his historic run to Olympic gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. At age 22, Puig became Puerto Rico’s first Olympic gold medalist with a stunning performance, which included victories over three major champions, Garbine Muguruza of Spain, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and Angelique Kerber of Germany in the gold medal match.
“This is not goodbye, but see you soon,” Puig wrote in his retirement message on Instagram.
“For the last 28 years of my life, tennis has been my constant. It has given me some of the most exciting and memorable experiences I could have ever asked for. But sometimes good things come to an end . Today I announce my retirement from tennis. After a tough 3 year battle with injuries and 4 surgeries, my body had had enough.
“This decision is not easy because I would have loved to retire on my own terms, but sometimes life has other plans and we need to open new doors that lead to exciting possibilities. I would also like to announce as I will I will be very active in the world of tennis as a new full-time member of the ESPN family, while venturing into many other sports that I am passionate about. I will also explore consulting positions for young players. promising tennis players, as well as with programs and academies.
Puig admits that while the Olympic gold medal made her a celebrity, it also had a downside.
“I always said it was kind of a blessing and a curse,” Puig told reporters last month at the Madrid Open. “But I think it was just a really good period of growth for me. Growth, maturity, understanding myself, understanding who I am as a person, as a woman, and all those things.
“Because I look back on it now, and I’m like, ‘Wow, I was so stupid about so many things.’ But in the end, I didn’t know any better. I was 22 and I came out of nowhere, and I wasn’t ready for any of this.”
Injuries would later derail Puig’s career. In 2019, she suffered permanent nerve damage from a compressed nerve in her elbow. Next come shoulder injuries, which include surgeries for a torn biceps, labrum, and rotator cuff. Last month, Puig was finally able to return to the court and compete in the Madrid Open. In what would end up being her final tour-level match, Puig lost in straight sets to Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins.
