Upokojil se je bivši 39. igralec sveta!

Najboljše leta za Avstralca je bilo 2013, ko se je začel meriti z najboljšimi na svetu. Dobil je 17 ATP srečanj in vstopil med najboljših 50 na svetu. V nekem trenutku je bil tudi najvišje uvrščeni Avstralec. Leta 2014 je nabral 22 zmag, nato pa so se nadenj začeli zgrinjati črni oblaki. Nikakor ni našel prave forme, nato pa so prišle še poškodbe, zaradi katere je preskočil dva meseca ATP koledarja. Od tega ni več zmagal ATP tekme. Zadnjo tekmo je odigral letošnjega februarja, in sicer v kvalifikacijah za turnir Indian Wells. Po 14 letih kariere se je odločil končati profesionalno pot.

Marinko Matošević in njegovo iskreno odprto pismo, s katerim je naznanil svojo upokojitev

“I don’t know what to say really. I guess with mixed emotions I announce that I will no longer play the sport I love, I actually stopped in February but I thought I would make it official on the day I got my first ever ATP point 14 years ago. It’s has been an amazing journey and I wish it didn’t have to end but it feels like the right decision. It was always my dream to be a tennis player since I picked up a racket and fell in love with the sport. It’s been a long journey with many ups and downs. Tennis is a very lonely sport at times, physically very demanding and brutal mentally because losses and failures are all down to you. With perseverance, sacrifice, dedication and hard work I was able to achieve some of my dreams. Tennis has given me so much and taught me about myself and life. It’s given me the opportunity to travel the world for the last 15 years doing what I love. It has enabled me to live out some amazing tennis and life experiences that I will never forget. It has enabled me to meet so many incredible people along the way that made this journey so memorable and unforgettable. I experienced and learned so many things because of tennis and for that I am eternally grateful. Tennis also took some things away. It took me away from family, friends and loved ones. It took away some freedoms and perhaps a simpler life. I would love to say I don’t have any regrets but unfortunately I do. I have tennis regrets and personal regrets. Regrets are lessons I have learned from and they have made me a better human being. I want to thank all the people that helped me achieve some of my dreams and that taught me about life, my family, friends, coaches, physical trainers, physios, psychologists and everybody who has helped and supported me. I want to thank all my fellow warriors who I shared the court with. I want to thank the tournaments I played and the people who made those events possible, I want to thank everybody involved in our great sport. Lastly, I want to thank the people that watch tennis or have something to do with tennis without you none of this would have been possible. It’s been the time of my life.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_veABe6B5eQ