Asian Games medallist Prajnesh Gunneswaran announced his retirement from professional tennis on Friday, November 15. The 35-year-old from Chennai took to social media to announce his decision with an emotional note.
“Hanging up my racquet. Thank you.”
“As I write this, my heart swells with gratitude, pride, and a touch of nostalgia. Today, I step off the competitive tennis court for the last time. For over three decades, this game has been my sanctuary, my greatest teacher, and my most faithful companion. From the first swing of my racquet to representing India on the grandest stages, the journey has been nothing short of extraordinary,” he wrote in his statement.
Mahesh Bhupati and Rohan Bopanna were among the ones from the Indian tennis fraternity who congratulated Prajnesh on his career.
Prajnesh, who won a bronze medal in men’s singles tennis at the Asian Games in 2018, reached a career-high of 75. He started playing tennis at the age of five in Chennai and trained in Pune and Bengaluru in his teenage days.
He won national titles in every age group from under-12 to under-18, earning him the reputation as Indian tennis’ rising star.
Despite his early success, Prajnesh’s journey has had its ups and downs. He suffered an injury to his dominant left arm in 2009, which led to a period of uncertainty. However, he was offered scholarships by top US universities, including Harvard, and chose to attend the University of Tennessee due to its higher NCAA ranking. He dropped out of college in 2010 to pursue a professional tennis career.
Prajnesh’s early professional years were marked by participation in ITF and ATP Challenger events, where he found limited success. However, 2018 proved to be a breakthrough year. He won two ATP Challenger singles titles at the Kunming Open and the Bengaluru Open, and secured a bronze medal in the men’s singles event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. This year also saw him make his Davis Cup debut for India and reach the final qualifying round of the French Open, although he missed the main draw due to circumstances beyond his control.
In 2019, Prajnesh achieved several milestones. He qualified for the main draws of all four Grand Slams, including his debut at the Australian Open. He also made significant strides on the ATP circuit, qualifying for the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open, and reaching a career-high singles ranking of No. 75. This ranking enabled him to enter the main draw at Wimbledon, although he lost in the first round to Milos Raonic.
