Radwanska reaction: players pay tribute to retiring Aga

Published by Matt Trollope

Agnieszka Radwanska plays one of her signature shots - a backhand from a crouch stance - on the lawns of Wimbledon where she enjoyed some of the best success of her career (Getty Images)
A favourite with fans as one of the most gifted and creative shot-makers in tennis, Agnieszka Radwanska’s opponents paid tribute to the Pole, who announced her retirement from tennis on Wednesday.

The tennis world reacted significantly and collectively when news of Agnieszka Radwanska’s retirement broke on Wednesday.

The Polish star decided to call time on a brilliant 13-year career during which she won 20 WTA titles, reached the Wimbledon final in 2012 and rose to world No.2 that same year.

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Popular among the playing group, the game’s current and former stars took to social media to send messages of love and support for the 29-year-old.

Radwanska the shot-maker

The top-10 stalwart will be remembered as one of the cleverest, most gifted players in the modern game.

Her ability to produce unorthodox, imaginative and creative shots frequently saw her feature on highlight reels and win Shot of the Month and Shot of the Year honours on the WTA tour.

Radwanska the fan favourite

For six straight years, Radwanska was voted at the WTA’s Fan Favourite – from 2011 through to 2016.

Aside from her thrilling hot shots, there are many reasons why this may have been the case.

Perhaps it was her unique on-court reactions:

Or her eye-catching outfits:

Or her love of cheesecake (aka her relatability):

In her retirement post on her social media channels, Radwanska emphasised the enjoyment and pride of playing for more than a decade at the highest level in front of her fans.

“Throughout my career I always did my best to represent my country in the best possible way,” she wrote.

“I hope that my tennis matches were the source of emotions and joy for you all. Your support, warm words and faith in me were with me in every single match I played and this is what I’m thankful for.

“Thank you for every sleepless night in front of the TV and all those Fan Favourite awards – that was the biggest honour and best reward for my hard work.

“I am truly grateful for having the best and most loyal fans in all of tennis.”

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