US Edition 
Katie O'Brien, former British No 1, retires from tennis aged 25
Katie O’Brien, the former British No1, has revealed that her decision to retire from tennis was based on the belief that she had maximised her potential on the court.
“There are so many bits about tennis that I love, but the day-in day-out grind got to me a little bit,” O’Brien explained.
“A lot of people see the end product, when you’re on the big stage at the grand slams, and it all looks so luxurious.
"But the path to get there takes years and years of dedication. I did really well to break into the top 100, that was my lifelong ambition, but I sacrificed everything to get there.”
The 25 year-old reached a career-high ranking of No 84 in the world in September 2010, but has since slipped down the rankings to 281 and the lower echelons of professional tennis.
“The Challenger circuit can be a pretty depressing place at times, especially when you’re travelling many weeks on your own, which is what I have been doing,” she said.
“My ranking might go up and down, but I wasn’t sure if I could better what I did at 84 last year. Deep down I think it is the right decision for me.”
Admitting she has been overwhelmed by the level of support winging her way through phone calls, messages and tweets since she announced her retirement, the Yorkshire-born player, who described giving up tennis as “giving up a way of life”, is now looking at what to do next.
“I’d like to stay involved in tennis but probably not in a coaching capacity – events, marketing, media, they are all areas that appeal to me,” she said.
“One of the best decisions I made was to carry on with my education, so it will be good to put that to use.”