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MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Sam Stosur will bid a bittersweet farewell to his hometown fans at the Australian Open on Sunday but won’t be far from the game, the 38-year-old major champion said on Sunday. .<\/p>\n
Stosur announced on social media that he would be retiring from the sport, 21 years after his first Australian Open, after making his last appearance in a doubles tournament at Melbourne Park.read more <\/p>\n
Since becoming a mother in mid-2020, Stosur has stepped away from the game and taken on a mentoring role for some of the country’s emerging players.<\/p>\n
“I would love to be involved in some way. We have to figure out exactly how that goes,” Stosur told reporters at Melbourne Park.<\/p>\n
“I’m too passionate about it and too invested in what every other player is doing to just walk away.<\/p>\n
“I’m sure you’ll find something to do in tennis.”<\/p>\n
Many in Australian tennis hope it means taking a more hands-on role in developing the next generation.<\/p>\n
Almost ten months after Ash Barty’s retirement, Stosur’s departure leaves Australian tennis without an active Grand Slam title winner and women’s tennis eager for a new champion.<\/p>\n
Australia’s top two women, No. 35 Adjla Tomljanovic and world No. 56 Dalia Saville, were sidelined by injury, leaving her country a wildcard in the top 150 ranked women’s singles at Melbourne Park this year. There is only one.<\/p>\n
Stosur, like when he upset Serena Williams in front of a hostile Arthur Ashe crowd to win the 2011 U.S. Open title, had to break through and carry the torch for the other players. He said he needed one player.<\/p>\n
“I’m sure they’ll get there one day. They just<\/p>\n
We need to get over the next little hurdle,” she said of the likes of world number 160 Jamie Forlis and world number 167 Kimberly Birrell.<\/p>\n
“They’re all closing in and out, between 100 and 130.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think success will bring success. It probably only takes one to pass the next spot.<\/p>\n
More coming. “<\/p>\n