South Africa's Kevin Anderson has announced his retirement from professional tennis. Anderson has announced his retirement in a social media post on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old revealed it was a difficult decision to give up something that has been part of his entire life.
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Anderson said he loved tennis from the moment he picked up a racket at the age of five. The South African added that he experienced a lot of ups and downs in a career that spanned 15-years, but he would not change it for anything.
Anderson's statement on social media read: "I don't remember a time in my life when I wasn't playing tennis. I started on the journey 30 years ago when my Dad put a racquet in my hands and told me if I was willing to work hard, I could be one of the best players in the world," Anderson reflected on social media.
"Since then, tennis carried me far beyond my roots in Johannesburg, South Africa and truly gave me the world. I've experienced so many different challenges and emotions; this sport can be exhilarating and at the same time lonely. I've had ups and downs, but I wouldn't change it for anything. My journey helped me become the man I am today.
"Today I finally arrived at the difficult decision to retire from professional tennis."
During his career, Anderson reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 on the ATP tour. He also won seven ATP singles tour titles and reached two grand slam finals.
His first slam final was at the 2017 US Open, where he lost to Rafael Nadal. The 35-year-old also reached the 2018 Wimbledon final, beating Roger Federer in the quarter-final and John Isner in the semi-final before losing to Novak Djokovic in the final.