Nathalie Dechy' pregnancy means the end of her labor days on the WTA Tour.
The 30-year-old French woman announced her retirement today. Dechy, who is pregnant with her first child, is calling it quits to spend time with her family. She married Antoine Maitre-Devallon on September 18, 2004.
Known for her court craft and her ability to play all-court tennis, Dechy advanced to the 2005 Australian Open semifinals — her best major singles result — and reached the fourth round twice at both Wimbledon (1999 and 2005) and the US Open (1998 and 2005). She won her lone singles title at the 2003 Gold Coast event and registered a career-high rank of No. 11 on January 9, 2006.
The 19th-seeded Dechy defeated third-seeded Russian Anastasia Myskina, 6-4, 6-2, then topped 12th-seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder, 5-7, 6-1, 7-5, to reach the 2005 Australian Open semifinals. She pushed top-seeded Lindsay Davenport, who looked tight at times, to three sets before bowing, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
An accomplished doubles player who was a solid volleyer and owned a penetrating overhead, Dechy partnered Dinara Safina to win the 2007 US Open a year after she teamed with Vera Zvonareva to win the 2006 US Open doubles crown. She also thrilled French fans when she partnered Israel's Andy Ram to capture the 2007 Roland Garros mixed doubles title.
A slender, 5-foot-10, 138-pounds, Dechy lacked an imposing weapon necessary to trouble top 10 players consistently, but she was a committed competitor adept at playing angles and using the entire court to keep opponents off balance.
She nearly knocked off World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic at the 2008 Wimbledon. Ivanovic fought off two match points, including one with a fortunate bounce off a let cord, to deny Dechy, 6-7(2), 7-6(3),10-8.
Dechy, who has also spent some her spare time in Canada in recent years, can now indulge in some of her favorite off court activities, including good wine, dark chocolate, "the ease of Federer" and "the vibe in the mountains." To see a complete list of Dechy's likes and dislikes as well as a photo gallery, please visit this official Nathalie Dechy site.
