Anett Kontaveit entered Wimbledon last year as the second seed having achieved a career-high ranking.
Just 12 months on, the 27-year-old Estonian star is preparing for the final tournament of her career at SW19.
Following extensive medical advice, Kontaveit has decided a chronic back injury will make it "impossible" for her to compete at the highest level.
It is only a year and a half since a phenomenal run of form established Kontaveit, albeit briefly, as one of the most dangerous players in the women’s game.
MORE: When is the Wimbledon 2023 draw? Dates and schedule as Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek top the bill
Why Is Anett Kontaveit retiring after Wimbledon?
Kontaveit has been troubled by back issues since the final months of 2022. This February, she retired from a second-round match in Abu Dhabi against Shelby Rogers and took two months off in an attempt to remedy the condition.
She returned for the clay court season but lost in straight sets to Bernarda Pera in the first round of the French Open. Kontaveit’s 2023 win/loss record stands at 3-7 and her world ranking has slumped to No. 79. It is not a slide she believes she is physically able to arrest.
"Today I am announcing that I am ending my career as a competitive athlete," she posted on Instagram. "After several doctor’s visits and consultations with my medical team, I have been advised that I have lumbar disc degeneration in my back.
"This does not allow for full-scale training or continued competition. Therefore it is impossible to continue at the top level in such a highly competitive field.
"Tennis has given and taught me a lot, and I am very grateful for that. It has been important to me to bring the Estonian flag to the tennis courts and to be able to play in front of my supporters and fans all over the world.
"I am ready for new challenges after my last effort as a professional tennis player – to enjoy the game and compete as hard as I can at Wimbledon."
Anett Kontaveit career earnings and titles won
Kontaveit won the first of her six career titles at s-Hertogenbosch in 2017, beating Natalia Vikhlyantseva in straight sets.
She had to wait until 2021 for her next victory and four arrived during a stunning run of form.
A top-30 player for most of her top-level career, Kontaveit found extra gears during an astonishing streak of 28 wins in 30 matches that yielded titles at Cleveland, Ostrava, Moscow and the Transylvania Open.
Baring an astonishing fairy tale ending at Wimbledon, her last WTA triumph came in St Petersburg last year and stands alongside 10 other final appearances that contributed to career earnings of $8million.
MORE: Who is the world No.1 in women's tennis? Updated WTA rankings and explainer
Anett Kontaveit grand slam record
Kontaveit maintained her No.2 world ranking until last year’s US Open, where she lost a three-set thriller against Serena Williams in the second round. It proved to be the last victory of Williams’ historic career.
Her run to the quarterfinals of the 2020 Australian Open remains Kontaveit’s best showing in a slam, although that was abruptly halted by a 6-1 6-1 defeat against Simona Halep.
She reached the round of 16 at Roland-Garros in 2018, doing likewise at Flushing Meadows in both 2015 and 2020.
If Kontaveit matches those feats at SW19 it would stand as her best performance at Wimbledon, where she has not progressed beyond the round of 32 in eight attempts.