Arthur Ashe

Health scare derailed planned comeback

Arthur Ashe had a sharp brain with a liking for precision and detail. It was an interesting contrast to his free-flowing, hard-hitting tennis game, which brought him his first US Open title in 1968, to be followed by the Australian Open in 1970 and his ultimate triumph of outthinking Jimmy Connors in the Wimbledon final of 1975.

However, in 1979, disaster struck. Aged 36, the American was holding a tennis clinic in New York when he suffered a heart attack. Because of his high level of fitness as an athlete, his condition drew attention to the hereditary aspect of heart disease. His mother already had cardiovascular disease at the time of her death, aged 27, and his father had suffered a first heart attack, aged 55, and a second, aged 59, just a week before Ashe's own attack.

Having survived, the American underwent a quadruple bypass operation on 13 December 1979 and was on the verge of making a return to the Tour in 1980. However, during a family trip to Egypt, Ashe developed chest pains while running, forcing him to see a doctor, who advised him against competing again due to health reasons.

He may have been denied a fitting on-court send-off at the time, but Ashe's legacy remains strong today. The American changed the sport through his pioneering work both on and off court and in 1983 and the ATP announced The Arthur Ashe Humanitarian award in his honour.

Bjorn Borg

Retired at just 26

Bjorn Borg sent shockwaves through the sport when he abruptly announced his retirement in 1983 aged just 26. Having made his tour-level debut in 1973, no modern career had been so brief, yet so bright. During tennis’ boom of the 1970s, every player attempted to replicate the ‘Ice Man’, who portrayed a controlled and emotional demeanour.

Between 1974 and 1981, the Swede won 11 majors and spent 109 weeks at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. However, at the start of 1982, his motivation waned and he succumbed to burnout. The 66-time tour-level titlist took three months off in an attempt to rekindle his fire, but it had been doused. He played a string of exhibition matches and only one tournament in Monte Carlo throughout 1982.

Despite rival John McEnroe pleading for him to continue, on 23 January 1983, while traveling in Bangkok, Borg announced his retirement, with Monte Carlo his last event. Growing his hair out once more, he attempted a comeback, using a wooden racquet, in 1991 and 1992, but failed to win a set. We’ll never know how many more titles Borg would have won had he continued to compete into his late 20s, but for more than a decade, the Swede catapulted tennis to new heights of popularity across the globe.

Andre Agassi

Bowed out at 2006 US Open

When the sport was looking for a new star in the 1980s, Andre Agassi, with his two-toned shoulder length hair and thunderous forehands came onto the scene. The American, who paved the way for a revolution in on-court fashion, was a high-class performer on all surfaces, winning 60 tour-level titles.

After two decades at the top, the 36-year-old brought the curtain down on his storied career at the US Open in 2006. In an emotional and dramatic farewell run, the 1999 champion defeated Andrei Pavel in four sets before he lit up New York one last time when he edged Marcos Baghdatis in a five-set classic to reach the third round.

However, Agassi had endured an injury-plagued season and was struggling with extreme back pain at the hard-court major, receiving anti-inflammatory injections after every match. With his body at its limit, the 36-year-old fell to German Benjamin Becker in the third round. An emotional Agassi received a four-minute standing ovation from the crowd after the match before he addressed his fans for the final time, his voice cracking as he spoke.

“The scoreboard said I lost today but what the scoreboard doesn’t say is what I found,” Agassi told his fans. “Over the past 21 years, I have found loyalty. You have pulled me through on the court and also in life. I have found inspiration."

Bob & Mike Bryan

Ended storied career in 2020

The legacy of Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan isn’t just about their record-breaking achievements on the court or their much-loved chest-bumping celebrations and energy. The American twins breathed new life into doubles during a time when its future looked uncertain as the top singles stars made fewer appearances on the doubles court. Doubles needed star power and the Bryans delivered in spades.

From their first title as a team in Memphis in 2001 to their 119th and final in 2020, the professional and personable pair did everything with a smile, dominating from the start of the century until 2018, when Bob was forced to undergo surgery on his right hip.

Despite the setback, the lefty made a remarkable return to Tour, teaming with his brother to win three more titles in a move that inspired Andy Murray to continue playing after he underwent a similar operation in 2019. The Americans triumphed at their final tour-level event in Delray Beach in February 2020 but were denied a US Open farewell like Sampras and Agassi enjoyed when the pandemic saw the year’s final major played without fans. As a result, the Bryans elected to not compete.

“We feel it’s the right time to walk away," Mike said. "We’ve given over 20 years to the Tour, and we are now looking forward to the next chapter of our lives. With that said, we feel very blessed to have been able to play the game of doubles for so long. We are grateful to have had the opportunities in the beginning of the year to play and say our goodbyes to the fans.”

In a historic career, they won 16 Grand Slams, 39 ATP Masters 1000s titles, four Nitto ATP Finals crowns and spent 438 weeks at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Team Rankings. They inspired doubles players around the world during the start of the 21st century.