Nadia Petrova ends injury-plagued career
Nadia Petrova announced her retirement from professional tennis after spending almost two decades in the game. The 34-year-old had not played in a single WTA event since 2014 when she succumbed to a torn shoulder muscle and had to recover from a number of other injuries after that.
"Every time I tried to step it up and work towards a tour level, my body would break down," Petrova told wtatennis.com.
"In order to play
"I made one last push ... but I've had this idea for some time. I thought it's important to let everyone know that I'm finishing up my professional career."
Petrova was part of the of the Russian revolution in tennis that included Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Myskina, Elena Dementieva, and Dinara Safina.
Although she never won a Grand Slam, she had all the attributes of making a great player due to her court coverage and powerful serve, but regular injuries meant that she could not compete with the likes of Justine Henin, Amelie Mauresmo and Kim Clijsters for the biggest prizes in the sport.
Although she never managed to win a Grand Slam, Petrova finished her career with 13 WTA singles and 24 WTA doubles titles.
"I've been in tennis for so many years. I had a very long and very good career. I dealt with a lot of injuries, like most of us, but it's important for me to finally turn the page in my book," Petrova concluded.