Belgian tennis player Kirsten Flipkens has announced her retirement from the singles WTA Tour after a career spanning over three decades. Flipkens, who was ranked as high as No. 13 in the WTA rankings, announced that the upcoming Wimbledon will be her last ever singles tournament.

The 36-year-old reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2013, alongside two WTA tournaments in Quebec and Houston. She has been ever-present on the singles and doubles line up over the years.

Flipkens announces her retirement on Instagram

Flipkens took to social media to deliver the news to her fans. The caption of the post read, “Dear friends, it is with a lot of emotions that I am announcing that @wimbledon will be my last singles tournament of my professional career. It has been a hell of a ride the past 30+ years and I cannot be grateful enough to have spent almost my whole life doing what I love most since I was a little kid.”

“Special thanks to my fans, my sponsors, my team, my friends and especially to my family.. My mom and dad who have been there for me through the good, the bad and the ugly. Without their unconditional support I could have never done this. Let’s enjoy the last couple of weeks to the fullest, and slice & dice just a few more times,” she concluded.

In 2013, Flipkens was also named the Belgian Sportswoman of the year. The veteran, however, did not rule out a run in the doubles section.

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Kirsten Flipkens’ 2013 season

Flipkens had her best performance on the singles WTA Tour in the 2013 season. She reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, followed by a sensation run to the semi-finals at SW19. Flipkens stunned Italian Flavia Pennetta and former champion Petra Kvitova along the way.

Unfortunately, she came up short to eventual champion Marion Bartoli. She finished in the Top 20 of the rankings in the 2013 season. The Belgian eventually suffered with injuries and match fitness, as she slid down the rankings.

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The Belgian brought a unique flair to the women’s game with her agile game and hard-hitting groundstrokes. She will surely go down as one of the best Belgian tennis players in the Open era.