Kevin Anderson announces return to ATP Tour following retirement

“I’m thrilled to make my return to the Tour in Newport,” said Anderson. “Winning the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in 2021 was a special moment for me. I couldn’t think of a better place to make my comeback, and I’m excited to hit the grass once again.”

Anderson reached two Grand Slam finals in his career, including on the grass of Wimbledon in 2018.

During his career, the South African had to deal with some difficult injuries, including having to undergo knee surgery, but revealed that he is starting to feel 'much better'.

“When I retired, it was tough. I was dealing with a lot of physical pain. Just a lot of parts of the body were really making it difficult to compete the way I wanted to, but also emotionally and mentally it was very challenging and I felt like I needed to stop playing," explained Anderson.

He continued, “When I retired I didn’t know if I was going to play again or not. Most of last year I wasn’t planning to. But a couple months ago I started hitting again and just really enjoyed being out there.

“My body felt much better and what I was doing with the tennis ball was really exciting to me and made me want to challenge myself again. I didn’t know if I’d have that opportunity but fortunately Newport has given me one, so I wanted to go out there and play again.”

Anderson will be joined by four-time champion John Isner, defending champion Maxime Cressy, Tommy Paul and Christopher Eubanks at the event that begins on July 17th.