Casey Dellacqua retiring from tennis to spend time with her family
Image: Image: Casey Dellacqua / Facebook.
Australian tennis champion Casey Dellacqua has announced her retirement from the sport to spend more time with her family.
Dellacqua made the announcement in a Facebook video yesterday.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now,” she said.
“I definitely feel it’s the right time for me to hang up the racquets.
“It’s time for me to be a mum and it’s time for me to spend time with my family, particularly while my kids are young.
“It’s a precious time in life and it’s a time where I want to be at home with my family.”
Dellacqua and her partner Amanda Judd are the parents of four-year-old Blake and two-year-old Andie.
She said that while the move was the right thing for her family, she would miss competing.
“I’ve been so fortunate to have a great career doing what I love and fulfilling my childhood dream of becoming a professional athlete,” Dellacqua said.
“If there’s one thing I’m going to miss, it’s playing tennis for Australia. It was always a highlight of my career and it’s something I will always cherish.
“I love everything about tennis. I love everything it has given me, but I also can’t wait for the best of me away from the tennis court.
“I’m really excited about the next stage of my life.”
Sydney resident Dellacqua has been a prominent player in tennis for more than a decade, competing in events including the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and representing Australia in two Olympic Games.
This year she won Sports Personality of the Year at the LGBTI Awards in recognition of her contribution to LGBTI visibility and representation in sports.
She last year joined a number of voices in Australian tennis speaking out against former player Margaret Court’s escalating public anti-LGBTI comments.
“Enough is enough, Margaret,” Dellacqua said on social media.
