Kevin Anderson has been announced as a wildcard for the upcoming ATP event in Newport, confirming his decision to return following retirement in 2022.
Anderson last played a professional match at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami, losing out to Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
On May 3rd he subsequently released a statement announcing that he was making the 'difficult decision' to retire from tennis, ending his 15-year professional career.
However, it appears that the 37-year-old has made a U-turn on that decision, as returns to the tournament that he won two years ago.
“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.
More must-reads: