Farewell to Wimbledon: tennis pro Kohlschreiber announces the end of his career

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Philipp Kohlschreiber (archive image, 2021)

Photo: Adam Pretty/Getty Images

Tennis veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber ended his long professional career after the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon.

The 38-year-old announced this on Monday after his first-round qualifying match against Frenchman Gregoire Barrere (6-2, 6-2).

»It was a great and wonderful career.

It will be my last tournament.

I'll stop after Wimbledon 2022," said the eight-time ATP tournament winner.

“I'm pretty happy to get another match here.

Hopefully I'll make it into the peloton,' he added.

His next opponent is Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, after which Kohlschreiber would have to clear one more hurdle to make it into the 128-player main draw.

Wimbledon Quarterfinalist 2012

He's "just trying to enjoy every match now," said Kohlschreiber, once number 16 in the world.

»It was a very long journey, I have great memories.

Especially here with my biggest success at a Grand Slam,” he said.

In 2012 Kohlschreiber, who made his professional tour debut in 2001, reached the quarter-finals on the Wimbledon lawn.

Kohlschreiber said after his first round in Munich at the end of April that he was “not as professional as he used to be”.

The former Davis Cup player is currently ranked 230th in the world rankings.

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