Goerges says tour break helped lead to her retirement decision

Julia Goerges enjoyed the tour hiatus so much, she decided to do it all the time. The 32-year-old German would consider stepping away from the game each season just before the long journey to Australia.

"It was always in the off-season, when you were at home for two weeks and then you have to leave and repack your stuff," she told the Guardian.

But she would nevertheless get on the flight, and commence yet another season on tour—until the coronavirus pandemic. With tour competition suspended for almost half the season, she got to experience what she could be doing following her tennis career, and found it appealing.

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''But if you have stayed away from the tour for five to six months, it just opens up a whole different new chapter," she said. "I knew that at some point it’s also nice to step away and not be in the spotlight all the time. I’d rather be at home, staying in pajamas every day and no one sees me."

Goerges last match was the second round of Roland Garros but she was at the ATP Finals watching from the stands (her boyfriend is ATP doubles player Wesley Koolhof).

Georges says being off the tour has already had physical and mental benefits.

"I can feel it now on my body," Goerges said. "It’s less tension, less pain because the mental stress... this has gone away."

She reached a career-high No. 9 in the rankings, appeared in the semifinals of Wimbledon, and won seven singles titles as well as five in doubles.