Roberto Bautista Agut announced his retirement from tennis on Thursday, aged 38.
The Spaniard took to social media to reveal his decision to call it a day on his career, explaining: “There are decisions that aren’t easy, but they come from serenity and the heart.”
Bautista Agut has enjoyed a lengthy career on the ATP Tour, during which he claimed 12 titles, while clinching a career-high ranking of ninth in the world.
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Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of his career was making the semifinals of the Wimbledon championships back in 2019.
He put together an incredible run that year at the All England Club, and one that surpassed even his expectations.
Roberto Bautista Agut’s run to the Wimbledon semifinals in 2019
Bautista Agut did not drop a set in the first four rounds at Wimbledon in 2019, earning flawless wins over Peter Gojowczyk, Steve Darcis, 10th seed Karen Khachanov and 28th seed Benoit Paire.
After defeating Argentine Guido Pella in the quarterfinals, Bautista Agut faced the press, to whom he admitted he had been forced to cancel his plans for the weekend.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, he said: “I had planned to be in Ibiza right now. We had everything organised already. My friends, six of them, are all there. Well, it feels better to be here in London.”
Bautista Agut was faced with the defending champion, Novak Djokovic, in the semifinals, and the Serb ultimately ended his fairytale run.
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Djokovic conceded the second set in the match, but inevitably secured the win in four sets, before going on to beat Roger Federer in the final.
Novak Djokovic’s praise for Roberto Bautista Agut after beating him
Following his victory in the semifinals, Djokovic had very high praise for Bautista Agut.
He said: “Well, I mean, it was a big challenge for both me and Bautista, playing semifinals. I’ve lost to him two times this year already, different surfaces.
“But, you know, at one stage of the match, it could have gone different way. Was very close in the third set. We split sets. You know, couple of very long games when I broke his serve and he had some breakpoints, very long rally. I managed to make a winner down the line with backhand.
“Obviously winning that game was crucial for me. It gave me more confidence and relief so I could, you know, swing more freely in the next games.
“The fourth set was the best set of the day. I’m really pleased with the way I ended the match.
“I think Bautista possesses a lot of quality in his game, but also mentally he’s very consistent. He stays there. He’s very focused. You will not see any outbursts or any downs, so to say, in his attitude on the court. I respect him a lot.
“I think he’s very underrated as a player. I think he deserved to be in the semis. Wish him all the best.”
After his semifinal run at Wimbledon in 2019, Bautista Agut failed to make it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam.
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