Marcos Baghdatis to Retire at Wimbledon Championships 2019

The 2006 Australian Open finalist, Marcos Baghdatis announced on Monday that he will play the last tournament of his career at the Wimbledon Championships 2019 which is scheduled to start from July 1.

Marcos Baghdatis played his last tournament at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships in February. The former world no. 8 took the social media to inform about the sad news. He wrote, “I wanted to take the time to write to you all and let you know that this upcoming Wimbledon will be my last tournament as a tennis professional.”

To everyone’s surprise, Marcos Baghdatis was awarded a wild card entry at the Wimbledon Championships 2019. He revealed the reason why the Championships awarded him a wild card entry. He said, “I am extremely grateful to the All England Club for granting me the main draw wild card… and giving me a chance to say goodbye to the sport that I love so much and has been such a big part of my life for the last 30+ years. This decision was not an easy one. It has proven tough for me, especially physically, to come back to where I feel like I belong.”

Marcos Baghdatis revealed that his body does not allow him to play more tennis. He said, “Even though my mind wants to do it, the limits of my body have prevented me to maintain and play at a consistently high level as I expect from myself. Especially in the last two years have been very difficult for me with recurring injuries and pain.”

He continued, “Besides that, I have a beautiful wife, two young daughters, and a third child on the way and I could not be more excited to spend more time with all of them at home.”

“Although I am sad to say goodbye to the sport as an active player, I am very excited for the next chapter of my life – I am going to be staying heavily involved in tennis in a number of capacities, so you will continue to see me on the tour,” added Marcos Baghdatis.

Marcos Baghdatis thanked everyone who was the part of his tennis career. He further added, “Lastly, there are so many people to thank who have been a part of this incredible journey with me, starting with my family first and for all. To all the people that have helped me become the person and tennis player I am today, I say thank you, especially to my Mum and Dad who supported me since the age of three to play tennis.”

Baghdatis continued his emotional goodbye saying, “Thank you for always believing in me and pushing me to become better. My team, my close friends, but especially the fans around the world. You made me feel welcome in each and every city and country I have ever been to, and your love, support, and energy is something I will truly miss.”

Marcos Baghdatis played some memorable matches which will always be remembered in the history of tennis. His best performance came at the Australian Open 2006 where he reached the finals but fell short of Roger Federer as he lost the match in 4-sets.

He played a marathon 5 setter match against Andre Agassi at the US Open 2006 which ended past midnight. He again played a long match against Lleyton Hewitt in front of his home crowd at the Australian Open 2008. The match started a few minutes before midnight and continued till half-past four Baghdatis, however, lost the match, he earned immense respect from the audience.

After suffering from injuries, Marcos Baghdatis came back on tour and upset the then world no. 1, Roger Federer after saving 3 match points at the Indian Wells Masters 2010. The Cypriot also dispatched the world no. 1, Rafael Nadal at the Cincinnati Masters quarterfinals. Marcos Baghdatis was the only player to defeat Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in that season, while they were on the top of the ATP rankings.

It will be interesting to see how he ends his career at the Wimbledon Championships 2019.