US Open star announces shock retirement from tennis aged just 30 to take up radical new sport
JACK SOCK has announced his retirement from tennis aged just 30.
The former American No1 will hang up his racquet after playing in one final US Open.
Sock achieved the rare feat of reaching the top ten in both singles and doubles.
He is now set to switch sports, having signed up to the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA).
In a lengthy statement posted to social media, Sock said: “To the 8 year old boy who immediately fell in love with the sport of tennis. I hope I made you proud.
“It’s been 14 years of memories I will never forget. From winning four Grand Slams, Olympic Gold and Bronze, Top 10 rankings in singles and doubles and competing on the Davis Cup and Laver Cup teams, it’s been beyond what I could’ve ever dreamed.
“Without the help of so many people, none of that could’ve happened.”
Sock won the US Open mixed doubles title as a teenager alongside Melanie Oudin in 2011.
He added a Wimbledon men’s doubles title in 2014, beating the Bryan Brothers in the finals alongside Canadian Vasek Pospisil.
In 2016 he won Olympic gold in mixed doubles alongside Bethanie Mattek-Sands in Rio.
And in 2018 he partnered Mike Bryan while twin brother Bob was out injured, with the duo scooping men’s doubles titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the ATP Finals.
Sock had his best year in singles in 2017.
He dramatically qualified for the ATP Finals by winning the Paris Masters, his first and only win at that level in singles.
The Nebraska-native took his momentum to the 02 Arena in London, beating Marin Cilic and Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals, before finally falling to Grigor Dimitrov.
He peaked at No8 in the singles rankings, before a subsequent slump that saw him fail to win a match in 2019 – during which he lost his ranking altogether.
Extremely skilled at the net, Sock won 17 titles in doubles, including two Masters alongside John Isner.
With the 6ft 10in ace machine also retiring after the US Open, the pair will partner each other one final time at Flushing Meadows.
Sock and Isner have been drawn to play Albano Olivetti and Robert Galloway in round one.
Isner is also competing in singles and will take on Facundo Diaz Acosta on Louis Armstrong Stadium tomorrow.
As per Forbes, Sock is poised to earn six-figures annually by playing pickleball.
The racquet sport is played on a similarly sized court to those used for badminton, with a much slower ball to tennis.
Sock earned nearly $12million in prize money during his tennis career.
But the PPA only features 25 stops across the US, meaning far less travel for its players.