Tennis: Horia Tecau announces end of his career

Romanian tennis player Horia Tecau, Olympic vice-champion and double Grand Slam doubles winner, announced the end of his professional career on Thursday, at the age of 36, in a message posted on social networks.

''AA lot of emotions flowing right now. I'm grateful. For the journey, for what I've experienced and the people I met along the way. The sport has been my playground, my classroom, taught me to dream, believe, and develop life skills in the process. The energy of the tennis court and tennis fans has rewarded me immensely and I will keep this feeling with me forever. Now, it's time to enjoy life in a different way and transform all this energy into a new shape,'' Tecau wrote.

Horia Tecau ends a career in which he won 38 doubles titles and played another 24 finals.

The tennis player from Constanta has titles won at Wimbledon in 2015 and the US Open in 2017, both together with the Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer, as well as the trophy at the 2015 Champions Tournament, also together with Rojer. He also won the silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, along with Florin Mergea, as well as a mixed doubles title at the Australian Open, along with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Tecau won the most titles, 20, along with Rojer (in 2014 in Zagreb, Casablanca, Bucharest, s-Hertogenbosch, Washington, Shenzhen, Beijing and Valencia, three in 2015 in Rotterdam, Wimbledon and the Champions Tournament in London, one in 2016, in Madrid, and in 2017, in Dubai, Geneva, Winston-Salem, US Open, in Dubai and Winston-Salem in 2018, Madrid and Basel in 2019), losing seven finals, in 2014 in Rotterdam, in 2015 at Sydney and Nice, in 2016 in Cincinnati, in 2018 in Paris, and in 2019 in Rotterdam and Washington.

Horia has ten other trophies alongside the Swedish Robert Lindstedt (2012 - Bucharest, s-Hertogenbosch, Bastad, Cincinnati, 2011 - Bastad, Casablanca, 2010 - New Haven, Bastad, s-Hertogenbosch and Casablanca).

Tecau also has three titles with Max Mirnii (Bucharest, s-Hertogenbosch, Beijing - all in 2013) and one with the New Zealander Marcus Daniell (Auckland - 2010), Victor Hanescu (Acapulco - 2011), the Belgian Dick Norman (Zagreb - 2011), Florin Mergea (Bucharest - 2016) and the German Kevin Krawietz (Halle - 2021).

Horia won in 2012 and in the mixed doubles event at the Australian Open (with Bethanie Mattek-Sands).