DI tennis star Shelby Rogers retires, concludes career of 307 wins
Wed, 08/28/2024 - 9:47am
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By:
Philip M. Bowman, sports@thedanielislandnews.com
Shelby Rogers, who first won our hearts as a ball girl for the Family Circle Cup and then as a talented competitor on the WTA Tour where she claimed more than 300 victories, is calling it a career.
Rogers, who turns 32 in October, retired from professional tennis after losing in straight sets to Jessica Pegula in the first round of the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows, in Queens, New York. Before the tournament, Rogers had announced via Instagram she would retire from tennis, and that this would be her last tournament.
“When you start playing sports as a kid, you never think about the end,” she wrote. “You just practice, have fun, and chase your dreams as hard as you can. My dream was to be a professional tennis player, and I can forever tell that little girl, we did it.”
And she did it in a way that inspired young girls who dreamed just like Rogers did as she practiced, practiced and practiced in pursuit of her dream.
In 2001, Rogers was selected to present Jennifer Capriati a bouquet of flowers after winning the FCC championship.
“She gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me I would play in the tournament someday,” Rogers recalled in a 2022 interview. “I couldn’t believe it.”
She never stopped working – or smiling – as she focused on her dream.
Rogers, who reached a career best World No. 30 in 2022, enters the U.S. Open ranked No. 356 as she’s taken time off from the tour to get married and to rebound from injuries.
“There really aren’t enough words for this moment, but I can confidently say that I have pushed my body to its limit,” Rogers posted on Instagram. “These last couple of years fighting with injuries and surgeries have been challenging. I always said that if my heart loves it and my body is healthy, I would play the sport forever. But now my body is telling me it’s time.”
Rogers, who owns a 307-262 career record entering play at Flushing Meadows, has earned more than $5.6 million. She played in all the Grand Slams, making deep runs at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open.
One of her most memorable victories came against World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty French at Flushing Meadows, when she posted a 6-2 1-6 7-6(5) victory in 2021.
While Rogers has had success on the court, she hasn’t been one-dimensional. During her career, she earned a college degree and worked as an analyst for the Tennis Channel when she was sidelined by an injury in 2018. She married hockey player John Slavik in December 2023.
She’s become a social media influencer with more than 60,000 followers and was on the cover of NowVIZ magazine’s first issue of 2022.
“My heart will always love this sport, and I hope I can pass along some inspiration to the next generation of players to dream big and keep growing the beautiful game of tennis. I am very much looking forward to this next chapter in my life ... but I can’t wait to see y’all in NY for one more U.S. Open.”
Rogers battled Jessica Pegula in the first round of the U.S. Open and lost 6-4, 6-3. The two hugged on the court after the match, after a video tribute of Rogers' career was played for the New York crowd. Both Rogers and Pegula grew up together via their path to tennis success
“We were battling at Georgia, like, Southern sectional 16-and-unders and now we’re playing in the U.S. Open,” Pegula told reporters at the U.S. Open media day. “Obviously she’s had amazing results here too and has been a top player. But it’s pretty crazy, and I think cool in the same way to say that we were playing at all these crazy sectional tournaments. Being able to end your career at the US Open and play each other, it’s pretty amazing when you look at it that way.”