Friday five: 2016 seasons cut short

It’s been a week of season-ending injuries (well, two to be exact). Both Serena Williams and Rafa Nadal called time on tennis in 2016 this week, sending fans and tournament organisers into a mini spin of despair. But Serena and Rafa aren’t the only marketable stars who have had their years cut short in 2016…

Maria Sharapova (season ended: March)

Well her season was cut short, right?! When Maria announced back in March that she was about to make a major announcement, few expected that it would be about a failed doping test. The WTA’s most marketable star was duly banned, the fallout has been anything but pretty, and Maria won’t be back on a competition court until early May.

Roger Federer (season ended: July)

The tennis world uttered a collective groan when Roger Federer announced that he was calling time on his 2016 season after Wimbledon. Not only did it mean that the Great One missed the Olympics and the US Open, but he’s dropped plenty of ranking points – and positions – as a result.

Ana Ivanovic (season ended: September)

It wasn’t a complete surprise when Ana announced that she had had enough of being walloped in the first round of every tournament that she entered earlier this year. After breaking her toe in January, Ana also suffered from a recurring wrist injury that eventually forced her to call it a day (for 2016, anyway).

Serena Williams (season ended: October)

This one wasn’t a shock. Much like in 2015, after suffering a premature exit from the US Open (by her lofty standards), Serena decided that she had had enough of playing tennis for the year. She did initially suggest that she would compete in the WTA Finals in Singapore, but withdrew the week before the event citing a recurring shoulder injury.

Rafa Nadal (season ended: October)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: pobre Rafa. The Spaniard has been playing in pain for years (or so it seems), and that pain has finally got the better of him. After hinting that he may call time on his year after an early exit at the Shanghai Rolex Masters, Rafa confirmed that he had had enough in a short statement on his Facebook page.