Anderson considered final crack at a Grand Slam before retiring: 'I wouldn't be true to myself'

Kevin Anderson admitted that he considered having a crack at one of 2022's Grand Slams, most likely Wimbledon, to bid a fond farewell to competitive tennis.

Yet the 35-year-old South African legend, who announced his retirement from the sport earlier this week following a productive 15-year career, believes he wouldn't have been true to himself as a professional athlete had he "spared" himself just for a final visit to the All England Club. 

Anderson experienced some of his most prominent career highlights at Wimbledon, notably reaching the 2018 final after defeating Roger Federer and John Isner in a quarter-final and semi-final respectively, matches that collectively lasted almost 11 hours.

"It crossed my mind [to play one last Grand Slam]," he said from his residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

"But then I realised that my whole career has been focused on training professionally, being prepared for tournaments and wanting to do well.

"After [the Miami Open], I knew it was time to step away. Not to be fully invested in it and going to go play at Wimbledon just to do it one last time would not be who I am as a tennis player.

"And I'm okay with that. I'm okay with stepping back and knowing that during the times I did have there, I gave it my all."

That Anderson would go on to have such an accomplished career on grass is an immense source of pride to him on its own, especially after he expressed a preference for harder courts during the early part of his journey.

READ | 'I gave my best' - SA's Kevin Anderson hangs up his racquet

"Growing up in South Africa, there was only hard courts to play on. We didn't have the opportunity to experience grass or clay," he said.

"If I think back to my first grass court match, it was at the Gerry Weber