Alastair Fatemi 22/02/2013
Esther Vergeer’s retirement
If I was to tell you that the most dominant athlete ever in their sport had retired, you’d probably be thinking- I didn’t hear anything about Tiger Woods/ Roger Federer/ Lionel Messi (and depending on your opinion on darts, Phil Taylor), calling time on their careers?
Well, you’d be right. All of those legends are still far from retirement. However, last week, a sporting great, more dominant than all of those champions put together, finally hung up her racquet after a 470 (that’s not a typo) match winning streak spanning over 10 years.
In fact, the last time she lost was to Daniele di Toro in Sydney on 30th January 2003. Esther Vergeer, the 31-year-old Dutch Paralympian, has brought the curtain down on one of the most prolific careers in any sport. “I’m hugely proud of my performances, my titles, and can look back on my career with a great feeling” said Vergeer, who won every Grand Slam singles event she entered claiming 21 titles. “Keeping going would not add anything”, added the Dutchwoman who also won 23 grand slam doubles titles, singles gold at four Paralympics starting at Sydney 2000 and ending in London last year, as well as just the three Paralympic doubles gold medals and a silver.
In the last decade, Esther won 120 consecutive tournaments, beating 73 different opponents, winning 95 matches 6-0, 6-0 and dropping only 18 sets. She claimed a mind-boggling 148 singles and 136 doubles titles and overall, won 700 matches and lost just 25. Vergeer, who was eight when she lost the use of her legs following surgery to repair blood vessels around her spine, started playing wheelchair basketball as she recovered and was good enough to make the Netherlands team before focusing on tennis. She achieved the number one spot in wheelchair tennis in 1999 and never relinquished it until 668 weeks later in January this year after missing the Australian Open.
Sitting at home in the snowy Netherlands last month and watching the Australian Open on television, she knew it was time to end her career and concentrate on promoting sport for the disabled through a foundation she has set up. “It felt great” she said, choking back tears. Although less well known than athletes with a fraction of her achievements, Vergeer is described by Rafael Nadal as “amazing” for her will and ability, and is lauded as showing “true love and passion” for her sport by Maria Sharapova. Roger Federer, 17-time Grand Slam singles champion, wrote a foreword for Vergeer’s autobiography which was released Tuesday February 12 to coincide with her retirement announcement: “She is an astonishing athlete, a huge personality, and she has achieved one of the most amazing feats in our sport”. Esther Vergeer did not simply go out on top. She went out soaring out of reach.