Tennis Canada – Montreal, December 19, 2018 – Former world no. 21 Aleksandra Wozniak announced on Wednesday that she was retiring from tennis and will focus on new challenges. The 31-year-old athlete began playing on the professional tour in 2005.

“The past few years have been challenging with all of the injuries, but I always continued to fight because I was still passionate about my sport,” stated the newly retired Wozniak. “Today, I love tennis just as much, but due to my injuries, my body is no longer able to perform at 100%. It is time for me to turn the page. I took the time to think carefully before making this decision. I am now ready to live new experiences. I don’t know what awaits me, but I would love to be able to give back to my sport, since it has given me so much over the years.”

Wozniak certainly made her mark on Canadian tennis. In 2009, the Quebec native reached a career-high ranking by climbing up to no. 21, making her the fourth highest ranked female Canadian player in history. A year earlier, in 2008, she became the first Quebec born player to win a WTA title when she was crowned champion at a tournament in Stanford, defeating Francesca Schiavone, Samantha Stosur, Serena Williams and Marion Bartoli along the way. At the Grand Slams, it was at Roland-Garros where she got her best results. In fact, she reached the fourth round in 2009 in addition to reaching the third round on three other occasions. During her career, she also took part in the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank 13 times, reaching the quarter-finals in 2012.

“We will remember Aleksandra as a pioneer for female tennis in Canada,” declared Louis Borfiga, Vice President of High Performance at Tennis Canada. “Her accomplishments and determination have undoubtedly inspired many Canadians. She demonstrated a lot of courage and humility at the end of her career as she returned from several significant injuries. Aleksandra will not only be missed on the court, but off the court as well. She was a great ambassador for our sport. The entire team at Tennis Canada wishes her the best in her future endeavours.”

Wozniak always represented her country with great pride, as evidenced by her 36 participations in Fed Cup ties. She holds the Canadian records for most wins (40), most singles wins (32) and most ties played (36). She also took part in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The Quebec native will be honoured on Centre Court during the 2019 Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal.

Click here for an infographic on Aleksandra Wozniak’s career.