Beijing Olympics champion Elena Dementieva announced her retirement after bowing out of the WTA Championships yesterday.
Dementieva, who struggled with injuries this year but still won two titles, was eliminated on Thursday from reaching the semi-finals, and after losing to French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-2 she made her announcement in a tearful ceremony surrounded by her peers, with her mother Vera courtside.
“It is so emotional. It is so hard to say goodbye. I am going to miss you so much,” the 29-year-old Dementieva said.
Her rivals lined up to pay tribute to Dementieva, whom they described as a tough fighter and a true professional.
“She has been one of the players I grew up with playing in juniors. It’s nice to see her looking forward to something new in her life,” Kim Clijsters said, holding back tears. “She has been one of the most professional players, one of the nicest girls on the court.”
Compatriot Vera Zvonareva said she he’d heard No. 9-ranked Dementieva talk about retiring during a year in which she overcame shoulder, calf and ankle problems to qualify for the elite WTA Championships for a 10th time.
“Elena is a great player and I think she has been great inspiration for a lot of young Russians,” Zvonareva said. “She was a role model. I looked up to her. She had such a great career. Right now, the whole country will be sad and everyone will support her.”
Stacy Allaster, the chairman and chief executive officer of the WTA, said Dementieva would be missed.
“Elena has been a champion and consummate professional on and off the court throughout her career,” she said in a statement. “She has also been a catalyst for the growth of the sport in Russia and around the world.”
She considered her biggest achievement winning the Beijing gold medal, for which she had to beat Serena Williams, Zvonareva and Dinara Safina.
Dementieva featured in the first all-Russian Grand Slam final in 2004 at Roland Garros, losing to Anastasia Myskina. Later that year she reached her only other Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open, another all-Russian affair with Svetlana Kuznetsova. Despite some epic wins over Amelie Mauresmo and Jennifer Capriati to reach both finals, neither conclusion was memorable.
She competed in 46 consecutive Grand Slams until she missed this year’s Wimbledon because of a calf injury.
Dementieva played 18 ties in Fed Cup, spearheading Russia to the 2005 title with all three points in the final.
She has been ranked in the top 20 since April 2003, reaching a career-high of No. 3 last year. She was also a top-five doubles player.
She finishes her career with a 576-273 win-loss record, and a place in the year-end top 10 for the seventh time in eight years.
Meanwhile, Vera Zvonareva ended Kim Clijsters’ nine-match winning streak 6-4, 7-5 at the WTA Championships and secured the year-end No. 2 ranking.
Zvonareva, yet to drop a set after three group matches in the elite event, ensured she will play No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the sem-ifinals today. Clijsters will face Sam Stosur in the other semi-final.