STARNBERG, August 28, 2018

Florian Mayer has retired from professional tennis. The 34-year-old German played his last match in the first round of the US Open on Monday, losing to Borna Coric 2-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.

“The decision to stop followed a long process. It has become increasingly difficult for me to maintain my level and maintain the intensity of training,” Mayer said in New York.

Mayer turned pro at the age of 17 after completing school. The Bayreuth native reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 18 in June 2011. The same year, Mayer won his first ATP World Tour title in Bucharest after four previous defeats in ATP finals.

Success on grass, beating Nadal

At the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, Mayer reached the quarterfinals, which was his best Grand Slam result. Also in 2004, he received the ATP Newcomer of the Year award. Eight years later, Mayer made it into the stage of the final eight at a Grand Slam for the second time, once again at Wimbledon. He considered grass as his best surface, on which he also clinched the title at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle 2016.

His probably biggest match win of his career, however, came on hard-court at the 2011 Shanghai Rolex Masters when he upset 11-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the round of 16.

Special-style on court

Mayer was known for his unorthodox style of play. He had a long backswing on his forehand and backhand and used a lot of different slices and spin on his backhand side. The German was also known for his jumping backhand dropshots which caught many of his opponents on the backfoot.

“There are other things than tennis. It was a great trip. I played a good last match, I can be satisfied. Of course it is not easy, something will be missing, but at some point it will affect everyone, and the aging process can not be stopped,” Mayer said.