Shahar Peer says goodbye to tennis after 13 years

Shahar Peer could say without any hesitation that she has had a successful professional tennis career, but perhaps what she was most proud of is her long-lasting representation of Isreal. The 29-year-old announced her retirement from the sport on Tuesday, due mainly to chronic shoulder inflammation.

“I look back on this experience with a huge smile, a lot of happiness and satisfaction,” Peer wrote in her announcement on various social media platforms. “I am proud of all of my accomplishments as well as the huge honor I was given to represent the state of Israel.”

Peer represented her country well. Not only did Peer play 76 combined singles and doubles Fed Cup matches for Israel, winning 45 of them, but she also led the team to its first and only World Group appearance in 2008.

Peer bounced back from a first set bagel at the hands of Russian Dinara Safina (who would reach No.2 in the world rankings by the end of that year) to give the Israelis a lead in the tie (which her team eventually lost).

That was not all she did for Israel, though, as she represented her country in two Olympic Games, winning a match in Beijing before losing to ninth-seeded Vera Zvonareva. She was also part of the 2012 London Olympic team.

Outside of her country obligations (which included a stint of mandatory military service at 19 years of age), perhaps what Peer will be remembered for will be her run at the 2007 Australian Open. That quarterfinal run is tied for her best result at a Grand Slam with the 2007 US Open, and she was actually within two points of beating eventual champion Serena Williams.

She also reached the fourth round of Roland Garros on three occasions and the fourth round of Wimbledon once. Peer won five WTA singles titles during her 13-year career (the last coming in 2013) and reached four finals. She finished four seasons inside the Top 50 and three inside the Top 20.

In her farewell post, Peer confessed that she lacks the desire she used to have, after not playing a professional tournament since last February. Still, she has certainly left her mark as the greatest WTA player in Israeli history.