Women's tennis has witnessed some comings — Kim Clijsters and Kimiko Date Krumm — and goings — Ai Sugiyama — this year.
While seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin prepares for her return to tournament tennis next season, former World No. 1 Amélie Mauresmo is now contemplating call it quits.
The 30-year-old Frenchwoman announced today she has pulled the plug on the rest of her season and is considering whether to resume her career or retire in 2010.
Mauresmo, who has withdrawn from scheduled tournaments in Linz and Luxembourg, said she has not been able to summon the desire to practice.
"Since I came back from the U.S. Open, I've been trying to practice but I can't find again the desire to come back to competition," Mauresmo said in a post on the French version of her official website. "I don't want to rush or force things. (I will take) some time to think before making a decision regarding the remainder of my career."
Currently ranked No. 20, Mauresmo has posted a 27-14 record this season. She reached the New Haven semifinals, but lacked motivation in a 6-4, 6-0 loss to World No. 39 Aleksandra Wozniak in the second round of the US Open. She has not played a match since then.
The two-time Grand Slam champion snapped a two-year title drought playing inspired tennis to earn a tearful triumph in February.
Mauresmo edged Elena Dementieva, 7-6(7), 2-6, 6-4, in a tense, two hour, 38-minute final to claim her third career Paris Indoor championship. Mauresmo beat Anke Huber to win the 2001 Paris title and swept Mary Pierce to capture the 2006 tournament title.
It was Mauresmo's 25th career title and her first since she won the 2007 Antwerp championship, two years ago. The former World No. 1 had not contested a final since she lost to then World No. 1 Justine Henin, 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-6(2), in the 2007 Eastbourne final.
"I'm just happy it finally showed after a couple of years of struggling. During the last few months in practice I could see there were some great moments, but it was only showing in matches now and then," said Mauresmo in February. "I didn't know when my consistency at this level was going to happen again, or if it would."
Mauresmo already recorded four top 10 wins through the first two months of 2009, one at Brisbane (No. 5 Ana Ivanovic) and three in Paris (No. 10 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 3 Jelena Jankovic and No. 4 Dementieva); she only had one top 10 win in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons combined, at 2007 Antwerp (No. 4 Kim Clijsters); the last time she beat three Top 10 players at the same event was at the 2006 Tour Championships (No. 7 Martina Hingis, No. 3 Justine Henin and No. 6 Clijsters).
The two-time Grand Slam champion, supported by nearly all of the 4,000 fans on hand, broke twice in the final set and burst into tears after converting her second match point to take the title.
Mauresmo also reached the semifinals in Madrid and the round of 16 at Wimbledon, bowing to top-ranked Dinara Safina.
