YearEnder 2022 Sports Retirements: 2022, as it turns out to be, a year of retirements in the world of sports across disciplines. Some due to age, while others due to injuries were forced to bid goodbye to the sport they truly love and care about. Several big names – from tennis icons Roger Federer and Serena Williams to Mithali Raj in cricket and Sebastian Vettel in Formula one announced their retirements. Let’s take a quick look at some prominent sports persons who bid farewell to the game in 2022. Follow InsideSport.IN for more sports latest updates.
YearEnder 2022 Sports Retirements: From Roger Federer to Mithali Raj, sports icons who retired in 2022 : Year 2022 in Review
1. Roger Federer – Tennis
At the top of the pile, it has to be Switzerland’s Roger Federer who decided to put a full stop to his playing career in September earlier this year. He had announced his official retirement on September 15 and said that the Laver Cup in London would be his last ATP event.
It indeed was a tear-filled farewell for Federer in front of a capacitive crowd in London, who left both the fans, his teammates and long-time rival Rafael Nadal grieving. He lost his last competitive match alongside Rafael Nadal, representing Team Europe, against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock from Team World.
With this, Federer drew curtains on a tennis career, that last for 24 years. He won 20 Grand Slams, eight of them on the hallowed Wimbledon turf. In addition, he won six Australian Open titles, one French Open title, and five U.S. Open titles. He was also the first men’s singles player to reach 20 Grand Slams club in January 2018. He was also ranked the No. 1 player in the world for a record 237 consecutive weeks and a total of 310 weeks.
If there’s one thing you watch today, make it this.#LaverCup | @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/Ks9JqEeR6B
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 23, 2022
2. Serena Williams – Tennis
From one tennis legend to the next, American Serena Williams decided to evolve away from tennis a few weeks before Roger Federer’s announcement. The American tennis legend announced her retirement in an article written for VOGUE magazine. Her last appearance as a competitive tennis player came in the 2022 U.S. Open. She reached Round 3 but was beaten by Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, 7-5, 6-7, 6-1.
Serena is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She was ranked No. 1 by the WTA for a record 319 weeks. In addition, Jr. Williams has also won 23 Grand Slams in her career, the most in the open era and the second highest of all time, behind only Australian Margaret Court with 24 majors. She also has 14 doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles, making her one of the most decorated players on the tennis court.
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YearEnder 2022 Sports Retirements: From Roger Federer to Mithali Raj, sports icons who retired in 2022 : Year 2022 in Review
3. Mithali Raj – Cricket
The custodian of Indian women’s cricket team for over two decades – Mithali Raj decided to hang her boots in June this year. With this decision, a 23-year-long career, filled with runs, records, learnings and memories also came to an end. Mithali started off her international career in 1999 as a talented batter and finished as the leading run-getter in women’s cricket history.
Overall, she scored 7805 ODI runs from 232 matches, at an average in excess of 50. She wasn’t bad in other formats either having scored 2364 runs in 89 T20Is and 699 runs from 12 Tests. Her biggest legacy would however be her captaincy, during which she took Indian women’s cricket to greater heights. She captained India to the final in the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England. India lost a close final to England at the Lord’s, but the journey gave Indian women cricket a new identity.
Raj also led India to four consecutive Asia Cup titles between 2005 and 2012.
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There were a few other prominent retirements from Indian women’s cricket other than Mithali Raj in 2022. Raj’s long-time teammate and India’s best bowler for close to two decades Jhulan Goswami also decided to hang her boots in September this year. Jhulan last played for India against England at Lord’s, an ODI series which the Blues won 3-0.
Overall, Jhulan finished as one of women’s cricket iconic players having represented India in 204 ODIs and picked 255 wickets, a world record. She also represented India in 12 Tests and 68 T20Is.
Records galore 🔝
A legacy to be proud of 👍
Thank you @JhulanG10 👏 👏#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/Ib4knV2eyn
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 24, 2022
YearEnder 2022 Sports Retirements: From Roger Federer to Mithali Raj, sports icons who retired in 2022 : Year 2022 in Review
4. Suresh Raina – cricket
One of the architects of Team India’s 2011 World Cup victory, batter Suresh Raina, decided to call it a day from competitive cricket in September this year. The southpaw was instrumental in India’s rise as a cricket nation after 2005. He was also a part of the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. Raina also played a massive part in delivering four IPL titles for Chennai Super Kings during his illustrious career.
In all, he played 226 ODIs, 78 T20Is, and 18 Tests for India between 2005 and 2018. He was also the first batter from India to score 100 runs across all formats. He also remains Chennai Super Kings highest run-scorer with 4687 runs from176 matches.
It has been an absolute honour to represent my country & state UP. I would like to announce my retirement from all formats of Cricket. I would like to thank @BCCI, @UPCACricket, @ChennaiIPL, @ShuklaRajiv sir & all my fans for their support and unwavering faith in my abilities 🇮🇳
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) September 6, 2022
YearEnder 2022 Sports Retirements: From Roger Federer to Mithali Raj, sports icons who retired in 2022 : Year 2022 in Review
5. Sebastian Vettel – Formula 1
Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel decided to call time on his career in July this year. He announced that the 2022 season would be his last as a professional racer. The German, who made his debut as a F1 racer in 2007, released the news via a video on his Instagram account.
It’s Sebastian Vettel’s 299th and final F1 race this weekend 😢
The much-loved four-time world champ opens up about his glittering career, the highs and lows, the friendships, the rivalries, and his upcoming farewell in Abu Dhabi#F1BeyondTheGrid #DankeSeb
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 16, 2022
Vettel won all four championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013. He is also third on the list of all-time Grand Prix winners with 53 victories. On November 20, he raced for the last time in his career in Abu Dhabi and finished in 10th place for Aston Martin.
YearEnder 2022 Sports Retirements: From Roger Federer to Mithali Raj, sports icons who retired in 2022 : Year 2022 in Review
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