Former World No.24 Jamie Hampton has announced her retirement.
“This has been a longtime coming, guys,” the American wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. “I’m sure those of you who have followed my tennis career know that I’ve undergone numerous surgeries in the past few years. Unfortunately they weren’t successful enough for me to return to tennis."
Hampton reached a career-high of 24 in the world in 2013, a season that saw her reach the second week at Roland Garros and the finals on grass at the Eastbourne International. She also played semis at Stanford, Brussels and Auckland in 2013, and finished in the Top 25 for the first time in her career.
But Hampton would only play one more event before succumbing to injuries. After reaching the semis in Auckland in 2014, she underwent a total of six surgeries in 18 months, but never found full fitness again.
“Confronting this reality couldn’t have been more disappointing and it’s taken many years to work through,” 30-year-old Hampton wrote. “Tennis was my first love and even though it’s been years since I’ve competed, it’s still heartbreaking to say goodbye.”