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Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.
The task of finally making a decision to hang up my racquet felt a lot more difficult than winning seven matches in a row in the Australian heat. It took me several agonizing months to finally come to the decision that my chronic injuries will never again let me be the tennis player that I can be. Walking away from the sport, effective immediately, is the right decision for me and my family.
Recorded Open letter, 'My dear friends', WTA (archived), 19 September 2014 source
You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream And I'll always love you for it. But I can't love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding My mind can handle the grind But my body knows it's time to say goodbye.
Recorded Retirement poem, The Players' Tribune, 29 November 2015 source
But I'm ready for what's next after rugby. Being able to not just say that, but to truly feel it, is a privilege. Ultimately, getting to leave your sport on your own terms is all you can really hope for as an athlete.
Recorded Retirement letter, The Players' Tribune, 20 February 2021 source
I don't think I could go for another three years. I'm leaving it at the right time, I love it, I've absolutely had a wonderful competition and I've loved every minute of it.
Recorded Channel 4, Poolside, Tokyo Aquatics Centre, after the S6 400m freestyle final, BBC Sport, 2 September 2021 source
I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn't feel like a modern word to me. I've been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I'm up to is evolution. I'm here to tell you that I'm evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.
Recorded First-person essay, Vogue September 2022 issue, 9 August 2022 source
As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.
Recorded Open letter, 'To my tennis family and beyond', Reuters, 15 September 2022 source
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