Elena Dementieva Announces Retirement from Tennis

An emotional Dementieva told the news to the crowd at the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha after losing her final round-robin match to Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-2.

Winner of the 2008 Olympic Gold medal and 16 WTA singles titles, the two-time Grand Slam finalist has become one of the most respected and admired players in women’s tennis.

“I want to thank everyone who has supported me through my career, including the WTA, all of the tournaments and the staff, all of the WTA players I have had the pleasure of playing with, the sponsors that are so important for our sport, my mother Vera and my family and of course, the fans that have been there for me through the years,” said Dementieva. “While I look forward to the next chapter of my life, I will miss all of you very much.”

“Elena has been a champion and consummate professional on and off the court throughout her career,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA. “She has also been a catalyst for the growth of the sport in Russia and around the world. We will miss her and wish her the best of luck.”

Dementieva turned professional in 1998 and won her first WTA event at the Bausch & Lomb Championships (Amelia Island) in 2003. She won 576 of her 849 matches, capturing 16 WTA titles, including two this year at the Medibank International (Sydney) and the Open GDF Suez (Paris).

One of the most consistent players in the history of the sport, Dementieva competed in 46 consecutive Grand Slams, only missing this year’s Wimbledon after having to withdraw with a calf injury. Dementieva became the first player from Russia ever to reach the semifinals of the US Open (2000) and was part of the historic first all-Russian Grand Slam final at 2004 Roland Garros, losing to Anastasia Myskina. She has been ranked inside the Top 20 for almost eight straight seasons (since April 21, 2003), reaching a career-high of World No.3 in singles (April 6, 2009) and also achieving a Top 5 ranking in doubles (April 2003).

Dementieva has qualified for the season-ending WTA Championships 10 times, reaching the semifinals in 2000 and 2008. A three-time member of the Russian Olympic team, Dementieva is a two-time Olympic medalist, having captured Gold in Beijing (2008) -which she considers her greatest achievement – and Silver in Sydney (2000). Dementieva also represented Russia in 18 Fed Cup ties, leading them to victory in 2005.

One of the most respected players to ever play the sport, Dementieva won numerous WTA awards throughout her career, including the highly-regarded Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award (2008) which recognizes a player’s conduct, attitude and sense of fair play.