By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday January 18, 2022
American trailblazer CiCi Bellis has called it a career.
The 22-year-old former World No.35 has suffered through a litany of arm injuries over the course of her career, and though she recently made a comeback to the courts, she has decided that her body will not allow her to compete at the highest level.
“Last year, after seeing little to no improvement with my arm, I made the decision to stop playing tennis,” Bellis wrote on Instagram. “I had been in the same cycle of rehab, training and injuries for three plus years and mentally/physically just couldn’t do it anymore.”
Bellis, the WTA’s Newcomer of the Year in 2017, became the youngest to win a match at the US Open in 18 years when she topped No.12 seeded Dominika Cibulkova in the first-round of the US Open as a 15-year-old.
Her career ground to a halt in 2018 when a catastrophic wave of injuries, and the surgeries that would come as a result, sidelined her for two seasons. She made a comeback in 2020 and reached the third round of the Australian Open, while playing with a ranking of 600. But Bellis soon encountered more injury troubles.
In total Bellis underwent four surgeries—including a surgery that shortened the bone in her arm and left her with a plate embedded. She battled back brilliantly, motivated by her passion for the sport, but finally has elected to grant her body a reprieve.
“I absolutely love the sport and have nothing but the best memories from my time playing, but it was definitely time to move on,” she said. “The good news is that I used my injury time-out wisely. I’m currently completing my business/finance college degree (graduating in 3 months), and an MBA will follow. I’m working full time as an investment analyst for @leadsportsofficial - a VC firm designed to support and grow early-stage sports & health tech startups. Needless to say, it’s right up my alley 🤓 and I literally find myself sprinting to the office each day because of how excited I am.”