Following a career that has seen her break into the top 30, American WTA star Shelby Rogers has announced her retirement effective after the upcoming US Open.
Rogers took to social media to share the news with her fans, stating she will retire after the final Grand Slam of the season in New York. The 31-year old is slated to face sixth-seeded compatriot Jessica Pegula in the first round.
"There really aren't enough words for this moment, but I can confidently say that I have pushed my body to its limit," Rogers wrote on social media. "These last couple of years fighting with injuries and surgeries have been challenging ... Now my body is telling me it's time. "My heart will always love this sport, and I hope I can pass along some inspiration to the next generation of players to dream big and keep growing the beautiful game of tennis," she said. "I am very much looking forward to this next chapter of my life ... but I can't wait to see y'all in NY for one more U.S. Open!"
Rogers turned pro when she was 17, and rose to a career-high ranking of World No.30 in August 2022. She reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open and the French Open, and the round of 16 at the Australian Open.
Furthermore, Rogers earned a reputation as a giant-killer on the WTA Tour, with victories over top-ranked stars such as Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Ash Barty, Petra Kvitova and Elena Rybakina. She will be inducted into the S.C. Tennis Hall of Fame this year.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.