Spain’s Feliciano Lopez ended his 26-year playing career Thursday with a quarterfinal loss to Yannick Hanfmann of Germany at the Mallorca Open.
Lopez, 41, received a warm ovation from the Spanish crowd following his 6-2, 6-4 loss on his favorite surface at the ATP 250 grass-court event.
Lopez was a three-time quarterfinalist at Wimbledon (2005, 2008 and 2011) and also reached the final eight at the 2015 U.S. Open. He won seven singles titles on the ATP Tour and hoisted his only Grand Slam trophy in men’s doubles at the 2016 French Open.
He hangs up his racquet with a career record of 506-490, with his final win coming Wednesday in three sets against Australia’s Jordan Thompson.
“I didn’t want to retire with people feeling sorry for me, or playing a level that I wouldn’t have felt comfortable with,” Lopez said. “I’m very happy to be able to play how I have so far. I feel competitive and that’s what I wanted.”
Lopez’s 87 wins on grass are the most among his countrymen, followed by Rafael Nadal with 76.
–Field Level Media
