Tennis doesn’t offer much grace when it comes to aging. One minute you’re a Grand Slam threat, the next you’re getting bageled by someone half your age and twice as fast.
Even the biggest legends eventually ran out of gas, struggling to keep up with the newer, quicker, and hungrier generation. Here are 20 tennis greats who hung around a little too long—and got run right off the court.
20. Jim Courier
Courier brought grit and fire in his prime, but his all-out style didn’t age well. By the end, his footspeed had faded, and the losses piled up fast.
19. Gabriela Sabatini
Sabatini was elegance personified on court, but her final years lacked that signature spark. The results just weren’t coming, and retirement became the best option.
18. Lleyton Hewitt
The Aussie battler kept grinding long after his body waved the white flag. His heart never gave out, but his ranking sure did.
17. Chris Evert
Evert was pure consistency for years, but once her baseline game couldn’t keep up with the pace of the ’80s power players, the cracks showed. She left the game before it got ugly because she recognized her weakness.
16. Boris Becker
Becker’s fearless net-charging style didn’t hold up against a younger wave of hard hitters. Toward the end, he looked more frustrated than fierce.
15. Ana Ivanovic
Ivanovic had a picture-perfect game and Grand Slam pedigree, but her confidence vanished late in her career. She couldn’t seem to recapture her magic—and the tour noticed.
14. Andre Agassi
Agassi reinvented himself once, but the second time wasn’t quite as successful. By the final few years, his back was failing and so was his ability to win consistently.
13. Martina Hingis
Hingis tried multiple comebacks, but the power era didn’t exactly welcome her with open arms. Her finesse game just couldn’t keep up with the new baseline bruisers.
12. Andy Roddick
Roddick’s serve stayed scary, but the rest of his game aged fast. He stuck around a little too long and couldn’t escape constant early-round exits.
11. Justine Henin
Henin’s one-handed backhand was a thing of beauty, but her second act fizzled quickly. She returned to the tour only to get overwhelmed by stronger, fitter players.
10. Mats Wilander
Wilander hit a wall hard after his peak and never truly recovered. His drop in form was swift, and the tennis world moved on without much fuss.
9. Maria Sharapova
Sharapova kept showing up, but her body clearly wanted to be somewhere else. She went from Grand Slam champ to a routine punching bag in surprisingly short order.
8. Pete Sampras
Sampras bowed out with a storybook U.S. Open win, but not before enduring some tough beatdowns. He was close to being fully run off the court before his perfect ending.
7. Simona Halep
Halep’s defense-first game required elite movement, and once that slipped, so did everything else. Her final matches didn’t resemble the champion fans once feared.
6. Stefan Edberg
Edberg was class through and through, but his serve-and-volley style got eaten alive late in his career. The baseline era came fast, and he couldn’t adjust in time.
5. Caroline Wozniacki
Wozniacki gave it one last go, but the explosiveness and consistency weren’t there anymore. Her final stretch was filled with early losses and fading belief.
4. John McEnroe
McEnroe’s temper was still intact, but the wins weren’t. By the end, he was more sideshow than serious threat.
3. Venus Williams
Venus has defied time, but even legends can’t outrun it forever. Her late-career losses have been hard to watch, especially when she’s clearly a step (or three) slow.
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2. Roger Federer
Federer gave us some late-career brilliance, but the finish line came with brutal reality. Injuries, slow recovery, and younger stars ultimately pushed him off the court.
Read More: Tennis Stars Who Deserve a Major Before They Retire
1. Serena Williams
Serena fought to the very end, but her final stretch was full of missed opportunities and physical limitations. The greatest of all time didn’t go out on top—but she sure left it all out there.
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