Russian star Elena Dementieva has shocked the tennis world, announcing her retirement from the sport after bowing out of the WTA Championships in Doha.
The 29-year-old world number nine's final match ended in a 6-4 6-2 loss to French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.
The Beijing Olympic gold medallist and dual grand slam runner-up had scored her 576th and final tour win against Australian Samantha Stosur earlier in the week.
Dementieva reached a career-high number three in the world only last year and retires as the best player of her generation never to win a major.
