Vesnina: "I've played longer than anyone I've ever grown up with".
Elena Vesnina recently announced her retirement, after a career filled with success, including a gold medal in doubles at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
She reflects on her career and the announcement of her retirement: "I was mentally prepared for this news. Tennis is the best game in the world, but it's time to move on.
My priorities have changed. First and foremost, it's my family and my children. Also, a tennis academy in Sochi. Construction should start now.
My tennis career has been very long and eventful. I couldn't even imagine that I would play tennis for so long and maintain a sporting longevity, because I was able to come back after having children and winning Olympic medals.
The most memorable moment of my career is my gold medal in doubles at the Rio Olympics with Ekaterina Makarova.
It's a dream I've been chasing since the moment I stepped onto the tennis court as a little girl.
I still knew nothing about Grand Slam tournaments, but I had already watched the Olympics on TV. The 1992 Barcelona Games were memorable.
I saw how they awarded gold medals on a podium - I dreamed that I would stand on that podium and be rewarded.
I remember how, at the age of 20, Maria Kirilenko, Anna Chakvetadze and I would sit in the changing room and discuss the age at which we would get married, have children and call it a day.
Everyone agreed that at 23 we'd be done. It was funny to reminisce about that with the girls a few years ago.
In the end, everyone was wrong, because I played longer than any of the girls I grew up with."
