Former World No. 99 Pedro Sousa put a bow on his skilled profession Thursday on the Del Monte Lisboa Belém Open in Portugal.
The host web site of the ATP Challenger Tour 75 occasion, the Club Internacional de Foot-Ball is Sousa’s house membership, making the 35-year-old’s last event a memorable goodbye.
“The hardest half is lengthy gone, it was after I needed to make the choice. It appeared like this present day would by no means come, however immediately it was right here,” Sousa mentioned in Portuguese at a press convention in Lisbon. “Before the match I used to be okay, however then that stress got here. Playing right here is all the time particular. I had buddies, household and membership members that I see each day, which gave me additional energy to carry out properly.”
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Sousa, who turned professional in 2007, collected eight ATP Challenger Tour titles and is certainly one of 4 Portuguese males to crack the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings previously decade.
After incomes his 201st profession Challenger-match victory this week in Lisbon, the place his father ‘Manecas’ works because the event director, Sousa clashed in opposition to countryman and former World No. 28 Joao Sousa, who reached the very best rating in Portuguese tennis historical past in 2016.
In entrance of a full crowd, Pedro soaked within the last moments of his profession.
“I really feel aid, lastly,” Sousa mentioned, whereas cracking fun. “It is what it’s. I used to be roughly ready. I additionally had a while to arrange. It was particular as a result of it occurred in my membership like I wished, throughout a nationwide vacation in entrance of a full stadium in opposition to the very best Portuguese participant ever.”
Joao Sousa (left) embraces Pedro Sousa, who was taking part in his last match Thursday in Lisbon. Credit: FPT/Sara Falcao
Sousa’s most memorable second from his profession was representing his house nation within the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. The yr prior, the Lisbon native loved a shock runner-up end as a fortunate loser on the ATP 250 occasion in Buenos Aires. All eight of his Challenger titles got here on clay courts, with two triumphs on house soil. When Sousa mirrored on his profession, one match caught out.
“The greatest match ever needs to be the ultimate in opposition to [Jan-Lennard] Struff within the [2018] Pullach [Germany] Challenger,” Sousa mentioned. “Winning 6-3, 6-1 within the last of a Challenger 125 was even higher than after I beat him the yr earlier than [in Davis Cup], as a result of in that one I needed to undergo a bit in the long run.
“I’m pleased and happy with my profession and don’t have any regrets. Most individuals do not know the struggles we undergo, it is a very robust profession. I’ve made some errors in fact, however I’m pleased with my achievements.”
Source: www.atptour.com