The highest-ranked Portuguese tennis player, João Sousa, played the final match of his career on Wednesday, bowing out at the Millennium Estoril Open against Arthur Fils, 7-5, 6-4.
A former world No. 28, Sousa announced in February that he would retire at his home tournament, which he won back in 2018.
“It’s been very nice to receive the support from the fans and the love from the organization,” said Sousa, who celebrated his 35th birthday at the tournament on Saturday. “I couldn’t ask for something better from today.”
Born four hours north of Estoril, the Guimarães native has done much to give back to his home country, undertaking an ambitious restoration of what is now a luxury hotel run by his family: the Conquistador Hotel.
On the court, Sousa won four ATP singles titles and reached the second week at two Grand Slam tournaments: at the 2018 US Open and at Wimbledon in 2019.