Yorkshire tennis ace O’Brien hangs up racket

The 25-year-old from Hessle reached No 84 in the world in 2009 but after being dumped out of the first round of Wimbledon this summer, she hinted that her time in the sport may be coming to an end.

She also revealed in her Yorkshire Post column at the start of the summer that she had been close to quitting in 2010, before deciding to give it one more try.

The World Team Tennis tournament in America last month was her final event.

O’Brien said: “I know I’m retiring at a relatively early age but having been completely committed to tennis for a long time I feel ready to explore different avenues of life.

“I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished over the years and I’m grateful to the LTA and my family for all their support and providing me with all the opportunities I’ve had.

“I really enjoyed my time playing in World Team Tennis last month, and I’ve decided it would be nice to finish on such a positive note. The last time I played a match, I had the honour of sharing the court with Martina Hingis and Serena Williams so I’m stepping down on a real high and will take some fantastic memories with me.”

She won four ITF singles titles and contested the main draw of all four grand slam events.