Chennai: Asian Games bronze medalist Prajnesh Gunneswaran announced his retirement from professional tennis. The 35-year-old Indian player, who won a singles bronze medal at the Jakarta Asian Games 2018, wrote on his Instagram account, “I am saying goodbye to the game. Thank you.” Gunneswaran reached his best 75th position in the ATP rankings in 2019. He expressed gratitude for being able to compete at the top level for many years.
Gunneswaran said, “As I write this, my heart is filled with gratitude, pride and a touch of nostalgia. Today, I am stepping out of the competitive tennis court for the last time.” He wrote, “For more than three decades, this game has been my life, my greatest teacher and my most faithful companion. The journey from holding the racket for the first time to representing India in major tournaments has been extraordinary for me.
The Chennai-born player turned professional in 2010. His win-loss record in singles matches is 11-28 while his record in doubles has been 1-1. His highest doubles ranking was 248 which he achieved in 2018. Gunneswaran has experience of playing in all four Grand Slams. However, he lost in the opening round on all occasions. He participated in the Australian Open for the second time in 2020 after challenging in all four Grand Slams in 2019.
He further wrote in his post, “Every drop of sweat, every victory, every failure, all this is woven into the fabric of who I am. Tennis gave me discipline, passion and the courage to dream big.” He wrote, “This game has given me friends beyond the borders of the country and such memories that will remain with me for a lifetime. It helped me become a good person along with a player.” This Chennai player achieved good success in singles on the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Future Tour. His record on the ATP Challenger Tour is 2-7 while on the ITF Future Tour it is 9-9.
He has won the only doubles title in his career in the form of Egypt F25 (Sharm El Sheikh, ITF Future Tour). Guneswaran’s biggest win against a top 20 player came in 2019 when he defeated then 18th ranked Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters. He wrote, “To my coaches, teammates and most of all my family, you have been like a backbone for me. I am deeply grateful to the fans for encouraging me during the ups and downs in my career. He said, “I am deeply indebted to the game that gave me everything. Thank you, tennis, for the journey of a lifetime.
