After several high-profile doubles retirements in 2023 including Sania Mirza, Sam Stosur, and the long-time Colombian team of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, the 2024 season was less volatile on the doubles retirement front.
However, we still saw our fair share of career exits. This year’s doubles retirement roster includes a pair of former No. 1s, a mix of veteran doubles specialists, and some high-profile singles names who also had occasional doubles success.
WTA Career Retirements
ATP Career Retirements
2024 WTA Doubles Retirements
Here’s a retirement roundup of five WTA players who concluded their doubles careers in 2024. Learn how each player left their own mark on our sport.
Elena Vesnina
- Career Doubles Record: 437-234 (65%)
- Career WTA Doubles Titles: 19
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 1
- Notable Partners: Ekaterina Makarova, Sania Mirza, Veronika Kudermetova
The most accomplished doubles player among 2024 retirees, 38-year-old Elena Vesnina won nearly every major women’s doubles title in the book, minus the Australian Open where she was a two-time finalist. She won all three of her women’s doubles majors with longtime partner and fellow Russian compatriot, Ekaterina Makarova: 2013 Roland Garros, 2014 U.S. Open, and 2017 Wimbledon.
Vesnina and Makarova capped off a banner season in 2016 with an Olympic gold doubles medal at the Rio Games and a year-end title at the WTA Finals. In the same season, Vesnina also won her lone mixed doubles title at the 2016 Australian Open with Bruno Soares. Always proud to represent her country, she helped Russia notch back-to-back Fed Cup titles in 2007 and 2008.
Related Podcast
Bruno Soares Interview: The 6-time major champ talks about the importance of habits, routines, and strategy to be a successful doubles champion.
In her post-pandemic career, Vesnina captured the silver medal in mixed doubles at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics alongside Aslan Karatsev and finished runner-up at Wimbledon in 2021 with Veronika Kudermetova. Despite her accomplishments, she likely could (or should) have won many more major titles. Vesnina often came up short in grand slam finals, with a 3-8 record in women’s doubles finals and 1-4 record in mixed doubles finals.
Garbine Muguruza
- Career Doubles Record: 82-51 (62%)
- Career WTA Doubles Titles: 5
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 10
- Notable Partners: Carla Suarez Navarro, Romina Oprandi
Although more notable for her top singles career, where she reached world No. 1 and won two grand slam titles, Garbine Muguruza was also an accomplished doubles player early in her career before she rose to singles acclaim. She produced her best doubles results in 2014 and 2015 alongside Spanish friend and compatriot, Carla Suarez Navarro. The Spanish duo finished top 8 and qualified for the WTA Finals back-to-back years.
Muguruza and Suarez Navarro won three titles across eight finals appearances in Stanford, Birmingham, and Tokyo. Two of their runner-up finishes took place on home soil when they made back-to-back finals at the Madrid Open in 2014 and 2015. They also finished semi-finalists at Roland Garros in 2014 and runner-up at the 2015 WTA Finals, falling to the dominant team of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza.
Alexa Guarachi Bruner
- Career Doubles Record: 259-189 (58%)
- Career WTA Doubles Titles: 5
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 11
- Notable Partners: Desirae Krawzcyk, Darija Jurak, Kaitlyn Christian
The American-born doubles standout, who represented Chile during her career, capped off a near-top 10 doubles career in 2024 to focus on her family and other professional pursuits. A former University of Alabama standout and NCAA semi-finalist in singles and doubles, Guarachi’s best years on tour came in 2020 and 2021 alongside former partner, Desirae Krawczyk.
Together, the two former collegiate tennis stars won four titles, advanced to the 2020 Roland Garros finals, and qualified for their first WTA Finals appearance in Guadalajara. In 2021, Guarachi also won her biggest career title at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai alongside Darija Jurak.
Along with many top WTA players, Guarachi helped support our #WatchMoreDoubles campaign launch at Indian Wells in 2022. She now serves as Director of Tennis and Pickleball at Watersound Club in Florida.
Related Podcast
Alexa Guarachi Interview: Guarachi talks more about her pro career, doubles strategy, advancing to her first WTA Finals in 2021, and more.
Raluca Olaru
- Career Doubles Record: 337-273 (55%)
- Career WTA Doubles Titles: 11
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 30
- Notable Partners: Nadia Kichenok, Irina Camelia Begu, Olga Savchuk
The 35-year-old Romanian concluded a 21-year career where she reached the top 30 in doubles and a career-high singles ranking of No. 53. Her doubles career was defined by consistency with a rotating list of partners.
Olaru won 11 WTA career titles with nine different partners and advanced to 24 finals with 16 different partners. Her biggest career result came alongside partner Nadia Kichenok when they captured the WTA 500 title in St. Petersburg. Similar to Guarachi, Olaru was also an avid supporter of our #WatchMoreDoubles campaign launch at Indian Wells in 2022.
Sharon Fichman
- Career Doubles Record: 289-197 (59%)
- Career WTA Doubles Titles: 4
- Career High WTA Doubles Ranking: No. 21
- Notable Partners: Giuliana Olmos, Kateryna Bondarenko
The 34-year-old Canadian enjoyed a long career in both singles and doubles before injuries cut her career short. Fichman won four WTA titles with four different partners: Gugu Olmos, Kateryna Bondarenko, Maria Sanchez, and Nina Stojanovic.
Fichman and Olmos won the biggest title of their doubles career at the 2021 Italian Open title in Rome, which helped them qualify for their debut WTA Finals appearance in Guadalajara at the end of the season. With a 24-10 Fed Cup record across singles and doubles, Fichman wore the Canadian flag with pride throughout her career. She also represented Canada in doubles at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with Gaby Dabrowski.
2024 ATP Doubles Retirements
Here’s a retirement roundup of seven ATP players who concluded their doubles careers in 2024. Learn how each player left their mark on our sport.
Wesley Koolhof
- Career Doubles Record: 307-193 (61%)
- Career ATP Doubles Titles: 21
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 1
- Notable Partners: Neal Skupski, Nikola Mektic
Not many doubles players can say they defeated Carlos Alcaraz in their last professional career match…except for Wesley Koolhof.
The former World No. 1 and top Dutch doubles standout finished his career on a high note this past fall as he led the Dutch Davis Cup team on an improbable run to the Davis Cup Finals before they were swept by Italy 2-0 in singles.
Koolhof played a pivotal role in their opening-round win against Spain in Nadal’s last career event. He and partner Botic Van de Zandschulp defeated Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers 7-6, 7-6 to seal the quarterfinal victory for Team Netherlands. It was a thrilling matchup where Koolhof, the clear MVP, showed the crowd what doubles was all about.
Though Koolhof enjoyed success with many partners throughout his career, his partnerships with Nikola Mektic and Neal Skupski brought him to the peak of his career heights. In 2020, Koolhof and Mektic advanced to the U.S. Open finals and won the Nitto ATP Finals, the biggest title of their careers at that point.
Four years later, they reunited for Koolhof’s farewell season on tour in 2024. Along the way, they won a trio of ATP Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells, Shanghai, and the Paris Masters which helped them qualify for their 2nd Nitto ATP Finals appearance together. Koolhof’s final season was their best one yet as a duo with a tour-leading five titles in seven finals attempts.
Related Podcast
Wesley Koolhof Interview: Wes Koolhof and partner Nikola Mektic break down their doubles partnership and offer strategy insight at the 2024 Miami Open.
Koolhof’s most successful partnership was with Neal Skupski during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Over two years, The Dutch-Brit pair won nine ATP titles in 15 finals appearances. This impressive title haul included their first grand slam title at Wimbledon in 2023 and three ATP Masters 1000 titles in 2022 at the Madrid Open, National Bank Open, and Paris Indoor Masters event.
With 21 career titles (including six ATP Masters 1000 titles), you could argue that Koolhof largely underachieved at the majors compared to his impressive tour record. He captured one major at Wimbledon and finished runner-up twice in grand slams. He also won the 2022 Roland Garros mixed doubles title with Ena Shibahara.
Rafael Nadal
- Career Doubles Record: 142-77 (64%)
- Career ATP Doubles Titles: 11
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 26
- Notable Partnerships: Marc Lopez, Carlos Alcaraz, Tommy Robredo
Rafa…a doubles player? In the shadows of his 22 singles majors titles, Rafael Nadal posted the most impressive career doubles resume among his Big 4 Rivals. A proud Spanish ambassador, some of Nadal’s most memorable doubles moments resulted when playing for Team Spain at the Olympic Games.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he partnered with close friend Marc Lopez to win the doubles gold medal for Team Spain in a dramatic three-set final versus Romania. Eight years later at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nadal teamed up with Carlos Alcaraz (“Nadal-Caraz”) on a highly anticipated run to the quarterfinals. Along the way, they knocked out two tough Argentine and Dutch teams before falling to the experienced Americans, Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, in straight sets.
Apart from the Olympics, Nadal racked up 11 career titles with a myriad of Spanish partners. His most notable doubles successes on the ATP level included three ATP Masters 1000 titles: two at Indian Wells with Marc Lopez (2010, 2012) and one in Monte Carlo with Tommy Robredo (2008). He was also a 2004 U.S. Open doubles semi-finalist with Robredo.
Andy Murray
- Career Doubles Record: 83-86 (49%)
- Career ATP Doubles Titles: 3
- Career High Doubles Ranking: 51
- Notable Partnerships: Jamie Murray, Dan Evans, Feliciano Lopez
Similar to Big 4 Rival, Nadal, Andy Murray experienced some of his most epic doubles moments playing for his country. A two-time Olympic gold medalist in singles, it was no surprise that Murray chose the 2024 Paris Olympics to be his final professional event, but this time in doubles.
Murray and partner Dan Evans gave tennis fans one of the most memorable doubles matches of the year. Trailing 9-4 in the third set match tiebreak, the Brits reeled off seven straight points to edge Japan 2-6, 7-6, 11-9. In the second round, Murray and Evans inched past Belgium with a similar emphatic scoreline of 2-6, 7-6, 11-9.
Their Cinderella run in Paris ultimately came to a close in the quarterfinals at the hands of Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. The performance was no Olympics fluke, however. Murray was an Olympics doubles quarterfinalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with Joe Salisbury.
Apart from his Olympic performances, Murray was most known in doubles for playing with older brother, Jamie. The Murray brothers won two titles together in Valencia (2010) and Tokyo (2011). They also helped Great Britain capture the 2015 Davis Cup with a doubles win over Belgium in the finals.
In 2019, Murray won his third and final ATP doubles title with Feliciano Lopez on home soil at Queen’s Club with Feliciano Lopez on the heels of his hip surgery. And last but not least, who could forget when Andy Murray teamed up with Serena Williams a few weeks later at Wimbledon in 2019?
Will Blumberg
- Career Doubles Record: 34-26 (57%)
- Career Doubles Titles: 3
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 74
- Notable Partners: Jack Sock, Steve Johnson, Casper Ruud
American Will Blumberg, a former UNC collegiate tennis standout and 10-time ITA All-American, finished his short-lived pro career earlier than most. Blumberg, 26, won three ATP 250 titles and advanced to six ATP 250 finals, all on North American soil.
He was a two-time champion in Newport at the International Tennis Hall of Fame Championships. On the grass, he won back-to-back titles with fellow Americans Jack Sock and Steve Johnson in 2021 and 2022, respectively. He also captured the doubles title at Los Cabos in 2022 with Miomir Kecmanovic.
Related Podcast
Will Blumberg Interview: The American doubles specialist talks tie-breakers, mid-match adjustments, and partnership advice during an interview at the 2024 Dallas Open.
In 2023 and 2024, Blumberg finished runner-up with a trio of Aussie partners again at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport (Max Purcell), Dallas Open (Rinky Hijikata), and U.S. Men’s Clay Championships in Houston (John Peers).
Though they never won any titles together, Blumberg’s highest-profile doubles partner was ATP top 10 singles player, Casper Ruud. Good friends and golfing buddies, Blumberg and Ruud played several grand slams together. Most recently, they teamed up at 2024 Wimbledon in Blumberg’s final career doubles event (we think).
Steve Johnson
- Career Doubles Record: 104-107 (49%)
- Career ATP Doubles Titles: 2
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 39
- Notable Partnerships: Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, Will Blumberg
Better known for his top 25 ATP singles career, American Steve Johnson also enjoyed his fair share of doubles success. Johnson’s best doubles result was at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he and American Jack Sock captured the bronze medal.
Johnson was also a two-time U.S. Open semi-finalist with good friend and fellow American, Sam Querrey, in 2015 and 2021. He captured two ATP career doubles titles with Querrey (2016 Geneva Open) and Blumberg (2022 Hall of Fame Open).
Although he only won two ATP titles, Johnson finished doubles runner-up on six different occasions with a 2-8 doubles finals record. His best finalist performance came at the 2021 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati Open with American Austin Krajicek.
Ben McLachlan
- Career Doubles Record: 130-149 (47%)
- Career ATP Doubles Titles: 7
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 18
- Notable Partnerships: Jan-Lennard Struff, Raven Klaasen
A New Zealand resident who represented Japan during the back half of his career, 32-year-old Ben McLachlan largely stayed under the radar like many doubles specialists. A former top 20 stalwart, McLachlan notched seven ATP career doubles titles and enjoyed his best season in 2018.
In 2018 and 2019, he reached the quarterfinals or better at three of the four majors: 2018 Australian Open semifinals, 2018 Wimbledon quarterfinals, and 2019 U.S. Open quarterfinals. In 2021, he was also a repeat Wimbledon quarterfinalist and played in his first and only Olympic games with Kei Nishikori. The Japanese pair made an inspiring run to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual gold medalists, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, 6-3, 6-3.
McLachlan’s two most successful doubles partnerships were with Jan-Lennard Struff and South African Raven Klaasen, both of whom he won two ATP doubles titles apiece.
Andrey Golubev
- Career Doubles Record: 91-126 (42%)
- Career Doubles Titles: 1
- Career High Doubles Ranking: No. 21
- Notable Partnerships: Alexander Bublik, Denys Molchanov, Hugo Nys
Andrey Golubev reached the peak of his doubles powers near the end of his 19-year career. In 2021, the 37-year-old Kazakhstan resident advanced to the third round or better of all four majors. During this stretch, his best slam result was a runner-up finish at 2021 Roland Garros with partner Alexander Bublik. The fellow Kazakhs fell to the French powerhouse team of Nicholas Mahut and Pierre Hugues-Herbert in the finals, 6-4, 7-6.
Golubev’s doubles momentum continued later that summer. He and Bublik represented Kazakhstan at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in doubles, where they fell in the first round. In 2023, Golubev won his first and only ATP doubles title at the ATP 250 Stockholm Open in Sweden. He partnered with Denys Molchanov to take the trophy 7-6, 6-2 over Yhuki Bambri and Julian Cash.
2025 Doubles Retirement Watch
Which doubles players will retire in 2025? Follow along with us on social throughout the year for real-time doubles news, conversations, and storylines.
- Hanlon Walsh: @HanlonWalsh on Twitter/X
- Will Boucek: @WillBoucek on Twitter/X
- Tennis Tribe: @The_TennisTribe on Twitter/X
- Tennis Tribe: @TheTennisTribe on Instagram
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