Kevin Anderson, the seven-time ATP Tour titlist who reached a career-high ranking of No 5 in the world, is set to make a comeback to professional tennis.
The South African will begin his return at the Newport ATP 250, where he has been awarded a wild card.
Anderson had announced his retirement in May of last year and has not competed since the Miami Open presented by Itau in the same year. His return will take place at the Newport tournament, where he last won a title in 2021.
"I'm thrilled to make my return to the Tour in Newport," Anderson told the ATP Tour. "Winning the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in 2021 was a special moment for me. I couldn't think of a better place to make my comeback, and I'm excited to play on grass once again."
During his career, Anderson reached two major finals and qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in 2018, reaching the semifinals of the season finale.
In 2018, at the age of 32, Anderson broke into the world's top five, becoming only the fifth player to achieve this feat after turning 30. The other players to accomplish this were Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, and Arthur Ashe, who did so in 1973 or 1974, within the first year of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
"When I retired, it was tough. I was dealing with a lot of physical pain. Many parts of my body were making it difficult to compete the way I wanted to. Additionally, emotionally, and mentally, it was very challenging, and I felt the need to stop playing," Anderson shared. "When I retired, I wasn't sure if I would play again or not. Throughout most of last year, I didn't plan to. However, a couple of months ago, I started hitting again and truly enjoyed being out there."
"My body felt much better, and I was excited about what I was doing with the tennis ball. It made me want to challenge myself again. I didn't know if I would have the opportunity, but fortunately, Newport has given me one, so I wanted to go out there and play again," Anderson added.
Following the Newport ATP 250, Anderson hopes to compete in more tournaments. Other notable players who have entered the Newport ATP 250 include four-time champion John Isner, defending champion Maxime Cressy, World No 15 Tommy Paul, and Mallorca champion Christopher Eubanks.