Amelie Mauresmo Retires

I’ve just seen Amelie give a press conference in tears.

I always enjoyed watching her play. Only she knows whether this is the right decision. I thought she was a great player.

December 3rd, 2009 at 2:44 pm

“often Controversial”?

she came out back in 1999 and has NEVER EVER been involved in any kind of scandal.Not a doper like her detractor and bigot that is Martina Hingis despite being physically stronger;not a cheater like Andre Agassi;not one to smash a racket and curse and threatened people like Serena Williams and wasn’t brash like Andy Roddick.

She was well-spoken;polite;very thoughtful;extremely respectful towards her opponents;was available to fans and gracious in defeat as in victory and has fans ALL over the world and gave plenty of her hard earned $ to causes that mattered most to her and had the respect of her peers.

She won her 2 slams
won the 2005 YEC
won the Fed Cup against the USA no less
won a silver medal in Athens back in 2004
was a world # 1 for most of 2006

I now understand why you are “ambivalent” about her.She epitomizes EVERYTHING this game of tennis should be about and that’s why folks like YOU have NO respect for her.

December 3rd, 2009 at 3:50 pm

I know she was a bit butch, but there was something sexy about her that made her my choice crush on the tour. Good thing Melanie’s come along!

December 3rd, 2009 at 3:56 pm

That’s sad. She was always a slightly tragic figure in tennis, very French. Thrilled when she won her slams. I hope she finds some happiness.

December 3rd, 2009 at 5:09 pm

“But Mauresmo preserved and finally won match points in a Slam title bout ” — Sorry Sean, but I just have to point out this typo. It should be Mauresmo *persevered* not preserved right? It’s not that she will be “preserved” in our memories.

She had a lot of flare in her game, lots of variety. I hope we begin to see a few more of the women tennis players evolve in this way, as right now there are too many hard-hitting baseliners. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but variety is good!!

Maybe now that Amelie won’t have to train, she can spend some time drinking all that wine she’s been collecting! : )

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/40567

December 3rd, 2009 at 9:22 pm

not should be “now” – it’s now that we will “preserve” Amelie in our memories.

December 3rd, 2009 at 9:24 pm

I am not sure I agree with this statement: “Even when she won her first Slam at the Australian Open, she didn’t get the credit because her opponent, Justine Henin, had egregiously retired.”

As far as I remember, most people believed after that match back then that Mauresmo was going to win that match, anyway, as she was up a set and a game, and that Henin retired only because she felt/knew she was going to lose and didn’t want to come out as a loser. (So, she faked an injury or exaggerated its severity. Her injury was never proven to be serious. She was just a bad loser.) I’ll remember Mauresmo as the player with the most beautiful and complete game ever on the women’s tour. Her baseline game was as good as her net game. No one even came close to her in that department on the women’s tour.

December 3rd, 2009 at 9:28 pm

I agree Tennis69. Justine lost my respect that day. She faked a ‘tummy ache’ cause she was getting trounced. Amelie showed why she is the classy of the two when she went and sat down by her and comforted her. It was sweet redemption when she won Wimbledon. Her game will be sorely missed. She had it all, and her backhand is second to none.
Definite hall of famer.

Fred I agree… controversial?? I think she was one of the few you can say she never was controversial. Maybe that one game she refused to play cause the judge kept saying the wrong score, but once she corrected it, Amelie was right back out there.
Amelie has said she was tested constantly for drugs and steriod use. She passed them all. She is all talent and class.

December 3rd, 2009 at 9:40 pm

Amelie was considered one of the most gracious, well liked player on the women’s tour. I often wondered how many more slams she could have won if her mental psyche were as strong as her physique. She will be missed.

Tennis69 is right on the money with his/her assessment of the FO championship. No way was Henin coming back in the match to win it. I, too, lost respect for Henin and she did not regain it until after her divorce, which seemed to free her of her less than amiable on and off court persona.

Also, I agree with Fred and others, where was the controversy? Can you please post a specific incident. I do not recall anything disparaging about her on or off the court.

December 3rd, 2009 at 10:22 pm

** I meant the AO championship. sorry

December 3rd, 2009 at 10:23 pm

An amazing athlete who played the game with artistry, flair and grace. I will miss her.
She is all class.

December 3rd, 2009 at 11:42 pm

She’ll be missed. I remember watching her win Wimbledon 3 years ago against Justine. I was happy that she won.

A lot of critics were discrediting her Australian Open title, saying that it didn’t count because 3 or 4 of her opponents retired from the match.

December 4th, 2009 at 12:38 am

She was quite simply a beautiful thoughtful tennis player, who for a brief period in 2005/2006 was the finest in the world.

She moved beautifully, had a lovely backhand and played with flair and imagination. Hell, she even knew how and when to serve and volley. This was a welcome contrast to the one dimensional Bollittieri clones that have dominated the game for the last 10 years or so.

She had the guts to admit her sexuality, was always respectful to opponents, and was never in any ‘scandal’ on or off court.

I do hope this consumate professional and amiable young lady enjoys a long and happy retirement. Millions of tennis fans will miss her very much.

THANK YOU AMELIE!

December 4th, 2009 at 5:09 am

Amelie was a truly talented player, her shots were just GREAT and outrageous and enjoyable. It’s unfortunate that she did not win more slams. However, her talent and poise is in my heart forever and she’ll continue to be greatly respected as a player by me. BYE BYE AME N GOOD LUCK FOR YOUR FUTURE!

December 4th, 2009 at 8:08 am

When a big woman athlete retires, her sport and us, the people who admired her, we die a little.

December 4th, 2009 at 10:47 am

She will be missed. Her game was one of variety and beauty. She should definitely be a hall of famer. I think she was overshadowed by a lot of other more dominate players of her era but she persevered and won the two slams in ’06. Mentally, at times, she was pretty fragile and I think that cost her a few titles.

December 4th, 2009 at 11:56 am

well, she was an awesome tennis player but over the last couple of years she dropped off the radar. It’s sad to see her go, however; I am looking forward to Henin’s return in 2010!
I bid Mauresmo the best in her future…though she might make a return…seems to be the trend these days.

December 4th, 2009 at 5:00 pm

“She had the guts to admit her sexuality…”

To reveal it.

December 4th, 2009 at 7:40 pm

One thing Mauresmo had that only 0.0001% of the women’s tour has is a great net game. I remember I caught her match against Henin in Eastbourne? in 07? I think Mauresmo won? Either way it was an epic match between the 2 most aesthetically beautiful games on the women’s side.

Fred, when did Agassi cheat?

December 4th, 2009 at 8:01 pm

Henin won that match.

December 4th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

Henin’s return, puleeeze. find a thread to make your comment. She retired because she was getting her butt kicked and needed to regroup. But anyway, this article is about Amelie. No one has a better backhand than her, no one has a better net game than her. No one has a better sportsman mentality than her. Which is probably what cost her a few games. She always had her opponents thoughts ahead of her own. she showed this during the Australian Open.
Martina caught doping, Serena caught being an A$$hole, Justine caught retiring cause she is losing, Which Williams sister caught making a gesture during a Open tourney and bitching about it,Kim retiring cause she can’t figure out how to juggle home and her career.
Sorry, but Amelie is pure epitome of what a true sports woman, athlete, winner is.
’nuff said.

December 4th, 2009 at 9:20 pm

Goodluck amelie on your future. loved her game and personality. loved her tennis gear too, beatiful fit and colours. All the best.

December 4th, 2009 at 9:42 pm

If more women played like Amelie Mauresmo I might actually watch women’s tennis.

Unfortunately, the women’s tour is dominated by shrieking ballbashers, and none are nearly as entertaining to watch as Davydenko.

December 4th, 2009 at 10:49 pm

Hypnos,

I agree with you. This new brand of Big-Babe tennis can be boring. Not enough variety, touch or skill. Not sure that the advancements in technology have been completely beneficial to the end product of women’s tennis. But the numbers ($$$) say otherwise.

I was never a fan of the personalities of Henin or Hingis. But boy do I miss their game.

December 5th, 2009 at 10:32 am

Took me a while to get to like Mauresmo, but her game won out in the end. She was a dyke, ugly as sin and the biggest choker (compared to her ability) the WTA has seen, but playing injured Henin in the AO final sure changed that. The bh and volleys will be missed. And she was missed when she faded away, by the time she announced it she was already crossed out anyway.

Can’t forgive Henin her cheating ways, but she’ll be good for the game because honestly, womens tennis is at it’s lowest points ever…when 60% Serena is sweeping everything you know it’s dire times. Ofcourse, hard to find a period when womens tennis wasn’t shitty anyway. Curse you Eurosport for being so poor as to be unable to buy ATP tournaments and always drowining us in WTA garbage…and then do it some more once slams begin. Looking forward to AO next year and being forced to watch some chick beating some other chick 6:0, 0:6, 6:0 while on other court men are playing an epic fifth set tied at 10:10, but Eurosport refusing to switch…getting a migraine already.

Anyway, don’t really see Henin winning slams again. Just a premonition she’ll never recapture her former game and fighting spirit and quit again in 2011 as some powerhitter walks all over her again during her PMS days.

Lets hope Ivanovic hits it off good, if one must watch WTA we should at least get some fan service!

December 5th, 2009 at 5:33 pm

great… post… sonic…

December 5th, 2009 at 5:59 pm

Que tragique! I will miss Amelie: her beautiful backhand, game and graceful presence. Am so very glad I as able to see her play at IW & Cincy, although she never seemed to enjoy touring outside of Europe. I remember when she won a tournament in California during the summer swing 4 or 5 years ago, she said she had a special bottle of red that she had set aside for just such an occasion. Hopefully now she’ll be able to enjoy her live with out the travel & make inroads to her wine cellar.

December 6th, 2009 at 12:57 am

Puckbandit, Amelie Fan & Fred – I believe the “controversy” referred to in the piece are the comments she made some years back about the tour being better off without the Williams sisters, etc, etc. She caused some flack about that as I recall & talked to the press much less after that, having learned her lesson. Fred – this blows your always “extremely respectful towards her opponents” summation out the window. Perhaps you were thinking of Kim Clijster……

Most players at one time or another spout off something in earshot of the press that they later regret. Kim is the exception.

December 6th, 2009 at 1:28 am

Dear Amelie fan, Serena, Henin and Venus are better players than Amelie. They have proved it. So no need to be bitter about it. Amelie is great no doubt, but she’s a lesser champion than these three women. However Amelie’s better than Sharapova as a player, but Sharapova has shown heart and fighting spirit than Amelie. So give these players due respect.

December 6th, 2009 at 6:49 am

However, in my view, Serena is better than all others including Henin. But my fave is always Venus as she has won 5 Wimbys. I love those who win Wimby many times, that’s why. ;)

December 6th, 2009 at 7:19 am

HUH
slow your roll sister.You must be a sister and black too.
You sound bitter and angry I will add.
Who likes someone who acts like a regular thug the way Serena always does.Hell she is on bloody “probation” because of it.
you can take the girl outta Compton but you can’t take Compton out of her . . .
Hate to brake your bubbles but Mauresmo and Venus Williams are all cool and they even went to dinner in Paris during the FO so that should shut yo arse up;for good!
Tenisbebe are you what? 5? players don’t regret jack sweetie.Get off your high horses.You sound as if you are on the Williams payroll or something.Are they paying your rent for you dear?Those players who you like are rich;famous and could own your whole damn family to cook and clean for them for the next 10 years!

December 6th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

fred – I believe you have reading deficiencies. My comment was about Amelie (not Wms sisters). But then again you are only 5 years old so how can we expect you to understand complicated thoughts or to express yourself in a thoughtful, comprehensive, persuasive manner, much less to spell correctly. Perhaps you should move on to the ESPN tennis site – it’s much more your level.

December 6th, 2009 at 4:40 pm

fred is afraid coz he/she knows Serena is the best! Hehe! ;) And fred is a fool too, so right about my sex and colour, racist moronic creature, hehehe ! ;D

December 8th, 2009 at 12:16 pm

fred seemingly also has a lot of desire to kiss Amelie’s @$$!

December 8th, 2009 at 12:19 pm

i will miss amelie. she was a terrific tennis player. loved her game. so much variety and grace. up & coming players are into the wam bam thank you mam kind of game. hit it hard and then harder. amelie’s backhand was lovely to watch. i’m not a big henin fan but w/her coming back i hope she can hang in w/these big babe hitters, as her game is also filled w/so much variety & grace. i will miss that when federer retires too. mens game is becoming 1 dimensional big tall guys with big serves & even bigger forehands. very little variety. i guess thats progress???

December 10th, 2009 at 5:40 pm