Shingo Kunieda, the most decorated player in wheelchair tennis history, has announced his immediate retirement from the sport.
Kunieda shared the news on social media on Sunday in much of the world, days before the Australian Open wheelchair event was set to begin. He retires as the world No. 1 in the men's wheelchair rankings, 17 years after he first rose to the top spot.
In 2022, he completed a long-awaited quest to complete the career Golden Slam by winning his first Wimbledon title, which was his 50th and final major title. He was the first player to complete this feat in the open division of men's wheelchair singles.
"I've been thinking about the retirement since the Tokyo Paralympics [in 2021]," Kunieda wrote in a statement on social media. "... I felt that I have done enough in what I wanted to accomplish, and thought it was time to retire."
Eight of Kunieda's total singles majors came at the US Open Wheelchair Championships presented by Deloitte in 14 career appearances, and he also won two doubles trophies in New York. He won his first US Open in 2007, his last in 2021, and added his two doubles titles in 2007 and 2014. He was the singles runner-up in Flushing Meadows on three other occasions.
The 38-year-old ends his career with 28 wheelchair singles and 22 wheelchair doubles Grand Slam titles, the most of any player all-time. His 50 major titles passed the previous record set by Dutchwoman Esther Vergeer, whose dominance of the women's game from 1998 to 2012 unfolded in tandem to much of Kunieda's career.
He debuted on the international circuit at age 17 in 2001, the year in which he won the first of his staggering 117 singles titles. He first rose to world No. 1 in 2006, and finished as the year-end world champion 10 times in all, including last year. He won four Paralympic gold medals, three in singles and one in doubles, and is the only player to have medaled at five Paralympics.
Tributes poured in for Kunieda after he made his announcement, from his active and retired peers alike as well as the broader tennis world. Alfie Hewett, with whom Kunieda shared the No. 1 ranking in recent years, led the saltues. The pair faced off in seven Grand Slam singles finals, including four US Opens.
"Undoubtedly one of the best athletes this sport has and ever will see," the 25-year-old Brit wrote in an Instagram post. "You’re an extraordinary role model and ambassador and what you’ve achieved on and off the court has been inspirational. We’ve shared some big moments and epic battles along the way, some I want to forget," adding a laughing emoji.
"You leave a huge legacy behind you. You and your team should be very proud."
In all, Kunieda spent 582 weeks as men’s wheelchair singles world No. 1 during his career, and 102 weeks as doubles world No. 1. He ends his career with 699 match wins in singles, just one shy of Vergeer's all-time total of 700. Overall, Kunieda recorded a 699-106 record in singles and 395-127 in doubles.
