PTI
ChennaiSomdev Devvarman said it was right time for him to quit international tennis since the passion with which he used to play was “dying” and he felt he will not be able to play his best tennis.
At the age of 31, Somdev hung his racquet, having two runners-up finishes on the ATP World Tour as his best performances on the Tour. Known for his baseline slugfest and sheer doggedness with which he played his game, Somdev gave India many memorable wins in the Davis Cup.
“I last played a match in Indian Wells in March (2015) and after that I had a chat with my people. I pretty much decided at that time that it was time to stop. I have read people saying I was injury plagued but it was not about that. I wanted to play for right reasons. Playing for me was always super fun and passion, that was dying or slowing down,” Somdev told PTI on the sidelines of Chennai Open.
“That is my biggest strength, my fighting spirit and that passion and heart more than forehands and backhands. Second, I knew I would not be able to play my best tennis. I wanted to be in top-100 and started reaching a point through injuries where I felt it will be tough for me to come back to top-100.
Once I realised that I decided that it was time to stop,” he said elaborating on his decision.
“The enjoyment in training was not the same, the enjoyment in travelling was not the same. I was not tired I have done it for so long. It was not fresh. Playing and going for tournaments in Asia was not exciting for me,” Somdev, who touched a career-high rank of number 62 in 2011, said.
