American player Shelby Rogers has made the announcement that the 2024 US Open will mark the end of her career.
The main reason behind Rogers’ decision to retire is health-related. The 31-year-old mentioned that she would continue playing tennis indefinitely if her body allowed it:
There really aren’t enough words for this moment, but I can confidently say that I have pushed my body to its limits. These last couple of years battling with injuries and surgeries have been tough. I always said that if my heart loves it and my body is healthy, I would play this sport forever! But now my body is telling me it’s time.
Reflecting on her journey, Rogers shared a heartfelt message: “When you start playing a sport as a kid, you never think about the end. You just practice, have fun, and chase your dreams as hard as you can. My dream was to be a professional tennis player, and I can forever tell that little girl we did it!”
The Mount Pleasant native, who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 30 in August 2022, will bid farewell to professional tennis at the 2024 US Open. Rogers made her debut in the main draw of a major at the 2010 US Open, the year she turned pro, and she also had a career-defining moment at the 2021 US Open by defeating then-No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the third round. This victory, celebrated in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, was one of the highlights of the 2021 tennis season.
Throughout her career, Rogers reached two Grand Slam quarterfinals (Roland Garros 2016 and US Open 2020) and competed in three WTA finals (Bad Gastein 2014, Rio de Janeiro 2016, and San Jose 2022). She also has six ITF titles and victories over Top 10 players Serena Williams and Simona Halep.
Ranked No. 356 entering the 2024 US Open, Rogers will face fellow American Jessica Pegula, the No. 6 seed, in the first round. Despite a challenging summer on hard courts, Rogers expressed her anticipation for her final appearance at her home Slam, saying, “I can’t wait to see y’all in NY for one more US Open!”
