Damn Luck of the Irish
Ireland’s best tennis player Conor Niland sadly hangs up his racket after a promising late career surge aged 30. A nagging hip injury too much to keep the man from Limerick on the tour but he made Ireland proud with 3 challenger titles and a main draw entry at the US Open against world number 1 Djokovic.
Not known much for tennis, Niland also was the first Irishman to reach the Wimbledon main draw since 1980, so it’s a shame for them that his career has been cut short. One can only hope that he has inspired a few more Irish whipper-snappers to pick up a racket in the coming years.
Reason to retire: Hip Injury
Career titles: 0 (3 challenger titles)
ATP Win/Loss: 9/15
Career High Ranking: 129 (2010)
Finest moment: Winning Israel Open title in 2010
Famous For: Reaching the 2011 US Open main draw to play Novak Djokovic
Watch: Niland vs. Djokovic US Open 2011
