Silvia Soler says goodbye with a nice letter: “I love you, tennis”

Silvia Soler Espinosa (Elche, 32 years old) announced this Friday with a letter on her social networks that she is leaving the professional practice of tennis after a career that began in 2006 and in which she had 418 victories and 398 individual defeats in WTA tournaments and became the 54th in the world ranking in 2012, the year in which she was an Olympian. His greatest success was the Strasbourg final, in which he fell against Puerto Rican Monica Puig 6-4 6-3. He won four ITF category titles and played with the Spanish Federation Cup team in nine heats, the last one last year against Japan. In team competition their balance between singles and doubles is 4/11. At Grand Slams, his best result is having reached the third round three times, two at the US Open (2011 and 2012) and one at Roland Garros (2014).

“I am in a difficult situation, with an injury that would require surgery to be at the highest level, but with few guarantees. So I have decided to bring the withdrawal forward,” Soler told AS. His injury is a cervical hernia due to a blow to the head during the Auckland 2019 tournament that has prevented him from playing continuously since then. His last WTA match was played against the American Nicole Melichar in the first round of the qualification of the Charleston Volvo Car Open (lost in three sets). “My best memory is the London Olympics.” Silvia played against Britain's Heather Watson, who beat her in two sets. “From all these years I have taken the privilege of having lived the dream I had since I was a child,” she says wistfully.

“Regarding the future, I am studying a couple of Masters, and I would like to continue to be linked to the world of tennis through sports coaching, which is one of the things in which I am training”, concludes the ilicitana.

This is the full content of his farewell letter:

“I fell in love with you when I was only 5 years old, in Elche. My parents used to play their doubles match with my friends and my sisters and I began to have the first contact with a racket.

I was captivated by those classes where I had a lot of fun and who always ended up telling a joke to say goodbye until next weekend.

Together with you I have lived the best moments of my life; You have taught me about sport and about life. I have grown with you and we have also suffered together. Today I am writing this letter to you because after many years enjoying, thanks to you, a privileged life, I have to say goodbye. It is goodbye from love, because since I was little I discovered that you are my passion and that will continue to be so for life, but the time has come to enjoy yourself from other perspectives.

I would like to especially thank my parents, my sisters and Blanca; Without them this would not have been possible, their unconditional support has been the best of my pillars.

Along this path, despite the loneliness that is always associated with living with you, I was fortunate to continue to be surrounded by my usual friends, and I was able to form teams with professionals who always sought the best for me and from whom I learned a great deal.

If there is something that life has taught me on this beautiful journey, it is that dreams can come true and that only work can bring you closer to them.

I love you tennis, from the first day I saw you!

Until forever,

Silvia”