Former Olympic champion Monica Puig retires from tennis

Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig announced her retirement from tennis, citing injuries as the main reason for her decision.

Puig hit a career-high ranking at No.27 on the Hologic WTA Tour in 2016 and won her sole title on the red clay in Strasbourg in 2014. The highlight of Puig's career came in her history-making run to Olympic gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

At age 22, Puig became Puerto Rico's first Olympic gold medalist with a stunning performance, which included wins against three major champions in Garbiñe Muguruza, Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber in the gold medal match.

She wrote:

"It’s not a goodbye, but a see you soon. Over the past 28 years of my life, tennis has been my constant. It has given me some of the most thrilling and memorable experiences I could have ever asked for. But, sometimes, good things come to an end. Today, I announce my retirement from tennis. After a tough 3 year fight with injuries and 4 surgeries, my body had enough."

"This decision isn’t an easy one because I would’ve loved to retire on my own terms, but sometimes life has other plans and we have to open new doors that lead to exciting possibilities. I would love to also announce that I will be very much active in the tennis world as a new full time member of the ESPN family, along with branching out into many other sports that I am passionate about! I will also be exploring consulting roles for young, up and coming tennis players, as well as with programs and academies."