2024 women’s tennis retirees — Maria Sharapova Hall of Fame bound

Throughout the year, I’ve mentioned in our Tennis Tuesdays players that posted to social media that they’re saying goodbye to tennis, but these players specifically retired with the International Tennis Integrity Association. That means they’ve technically withdrawn from the anti-doping protocols and if they would want to come back to the sport, they would have to get wait six months to get reinstated. Their reasoning to submitting their retirement to the ITIA could vary — it could be to get formal retirement benefits, get removed off of the WTA rankings or simply answer the retirement question once and for all. That being said, here is the short list of players that said goodbye in 2024.

Camila Giorgi
Turned Pro: 2006
Retired: May 7, 2024
Last tournament: 2024 Miami Open (singles, lost second round)
Titles: 4 WTA singles titles, 5 ITF World Tour singles titles
Career-high rankings: No. 26 singles (2018), never ranked in doubles
Other highlights: 2018 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Italian Billie Jean King Cup team member, 2020 Olympian
Notes: Giorgi was always a player that marched to the beat of her own drum. From her self-designed dresses to only playing four professional doubles matches, to her go-big-or-go-bigger gamestyle, it wasn’t too surprising to see her show up on the ITIA’s retired players list out of thin air. Though she hasn’t given an exact reason for her retirement, not long after the announcement it was reported that there were tax issues that led to the decision. She won over 400 professional tennis matches with the biggest career highlight coming in 2021 when she captured her lone WTA 1000 title in Montreal.

Alexa Glatch
Turned Pro: 2005
Retired: May 31, 2024
Last tournament: 2023 $100k Landisville (doubles, lost first round)
Titles: 11 ITF World Tour singles titles, 9 ITF World Tour doubles titles
Career-high rankings: No. 102 singles (2009), No. 98 doubles (2009)
Other highlights: United States Billie Jean King Cup member
Notes: Unfortunately, Glatch’s career will forever be marred with “what ifs” and perhaps the best player to never reach the Top 100. A talented junior, she peaked at No. 5 in 2005 that included a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open. She turned professional that summer after reaching the semifinals of the WTA event in Forest Hills and winning her opening match at the U.S. Open. However, she was in a scooter accident that fall, breaking her left elbow and right wrist. That began well over a decade of stops and starts due to injuries. Her biggest claim to fame was in 2009 when she dropped six games in her two matches against Iveta Benesova and Petra Kvitova to lead the United States over Czech Republic in the 2009 Billie Jean King Cup semifinals. After working her way back up the rankings following a year and a half layoff, I got to speak with Glatch at the 2021 Tennis in the Land WTA event to discuss her comeback and plans. Two years later, she quietly played her last match and seems to be doing some coaching nowadays.

Alison Van Uytvanck
Turned Pro: 2010
Retired: August 28, 2024
Last tournament: 2024 $75k Hechingen (singles, lost second round)
Titles: 5 WTA singles titles, 3 WTA 125 singles titles, 16 ITF World Tour singles titles, 2 ITF World Tour doubles titles
Career-high rankings: No. 37 singles (2018), No. 66 doubles (2022)
Other highlights: 2015 Roland Garros quarterfinalist, Belgian Billie Jean King Cup member, 2020 Olympian
Notes: Van Uytvanck was another player that struggled with injuries (primarily her back) and mental health struggles, but she’ll always be known as a pioneer for being an outspoken and out LGBTQIA+ player on the WTA Tour. She was part of the first same-sex kiss at Wimbledon, but more importantly, the first same-sex couple to team up in doubles at the event. Another player with over 400 professional wins, she came back from eight months away last October winning her first ITF World Tour event she played. She mostly played ITF tournaments but did play a handful of WTAs, playing her final tour-level match in Prague before playing her final tournament the following week.

Angelique Kerber
Turned Pro: 2003
Retired: October 1, 2024
Last tournament: 2024 Paris Olympics (singles, lost quarterfinals)
Titles: 14 WTA singles titles, 11 ITF World Tour singles titles, 3 ITF World Tour doubles titles
Career-high rankings: No. 1 singles (2016), No. 103 doubles (2013)
Other highlights: Three-time Grand Slam champion (2016 Australian Open, 2016 U.S. Open, 2018 Wimbledon), German Billie Jean King Cup member, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024 Olympian
Notes: The biggest name to say farewell this year and perhaps a bit surprising. After being off tour for over a year due to maternity leave, Kerber came back this January at the United Cup. I got to see a bit of her three-set loss to Danielle Collins at the Australian Open and noticed a lot of glimpses of the old Angie, but the German was never able to recapture the form that brought her to No. 1 and three Grand Slam titles. A fourth round showing at both Indian Wells and Rome were her highlights of the year until she announced that the Olympics would be her swan song. There, in true Kerber fashion, she found herself battling until the very end, reaching the quarterfinals that included a big opening round win over Naomi Osaka and ending with a third-set tiebreaker epic against eventual champion Zheng Qinwen.

Sharon Fichman
Turned Pro: 2009
Retired: October 19, 2024
Last tournament: 2021 WTA Finals (doubles, lost in group stage)
Titles: 4 WTA doubles titles, 9 ITF World Tour singles titles, 21 ITF World Tour doubles titles
Career-high rankings: No. 77 singles (2014), No. 21 doubles (2021)
Other highlights: Canadian Billie Jean King Cup member, 2020 Olympian
Notes: Fichman, like Glatch, was a talented junior that had struggled a lot with injuries peaking at No. 5 and winning multiple Grand Slams in doubles. In her “first career,” the Canadian was a Top 100 player in both singles and doubles but by 2016, she left the tour because of various injuries and the mental fatigue the tour brought. Two years later, she came back as a doubles specialist, slowly working her way back up the rankings. She was back in the Top 100 a year later and in 2020 was at a then-career high ranking. 2021 turned out to not only be her final year on tour, but her best. She captured the WTA 1000 title in Rome with Giuliana Olmos and also reached her lone Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open. She struggled the entire season with a shoulder injury but she and Olmos qualified for the WTA Finals, which would be the last time she stepped on court. She hasn’t publicly commented on retirement, but she’s been commentating for Canadian television since her first sabbatical and seems to be a mainstay moving forward.

Of course, there were a few other players that retired within the ITIA, but I focused on players that played WTA-level tennis, peaking inside the Top 100 in singles or doubles.

Now, on to links!

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This Week in Women’s Tennis

Though it was a bit controversial, Maria Sharapova rightfully is the latest player to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, joining fellow 2025 inductees Bob and Mike Bryan.

Zheng Qinwen captured the last WTA 500 tournament of the season, taking the Toray Pan Pacific Open title over Sofia Kenin. The doubles title was taken by Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi, defeating Ena Shibahara and Germany’s Laura Siegemund for the crown.

Six years after winning her first WTA title, Olga Danilovic found herself in the winner’s circle by defeating Caroline Dolehide for the  Guangzhou Open presented by AVATR. In doubles, Katerina Siniakova and Zhang Shuai outclassed Katarzyna Piter and Fanny Stollar to win their first title as a duo.

At the WTA 125 Abierto Tampico, Marina Stakusic won the biggest title of her career by downing Anna Blinkova in three sets. Rebecca Marino and Carmen Corley each won their first WTA 125 title by defeating Alina Korneeva and Polina Kudermetova in the doubles final.

WTA Insider caught up with Daria Kasatkina, who had the best season of her career on paper thanks to her improved mental stability. They also chatted with Zheng Qinwen to discuss her new normal following her big year that included a Grand Slam final and Olympic gold.

Coco Gauff is the latest to get the rap lyric treatment, this time thanks to Tyler the Creator:

I mentioned last week, but the wtatennis.com did a small recap of Kirsten Flipkens winning the Luxembourg Ladies Masters title. TBT to me demanding a WTA Legends circuit!

Jasmine Paolini has tied Francesca Schiavone as the highest-ranked Italian woman, rising to No. 4 in the latest WTA rankings.

Felicia Raschiatore, who reached the doubles quarterfinals in 1984 at Roland Garros, has been recognized for helping grow the sport of wheelchair tennis.

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Tweet of the Week

I love seeing the genuine reaction to the players getting inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame