'Thank you'- Mullingar Tennis Club pays tribute to Simon Carr

In May of this year, Simon Carr, who grew up in Mullingar and started playing tennis at Mullingar Tennis Club under current Head Coach Fergus Murphy, announced his retirement.

Carr, who also played Gaelic football, rugby, and swam in his youth, began playing tennis at the age of nine. While attending CBS Mullingar, he pursued the ambitious goal of becoming one of the best tennis players in the world, which he successfully achieved. Simon reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 512 in February 2020 and an ATP doubles ranking of 507 on September 27, 2021.

Carr has represented Ireland multiple times in the Davis Cup, holding a win/loss record of 5-4. Conor Niland first called him up to the Davis Cup team against Denmark in February 2018. In his retirement announcement on Instagram last month, Carr expressed gratitude to everyone who supported him throughout his career, particularly his mother, who introduced him to tennis, and his father, former Dublin All-Ireland winner Tommy Carr, who played a pivotal role in his strength and conditioning training.

Carr turned professional in 2015 at the age of 15. Unfortunately, his career in recent years has been marked by injuries. The financial demands of professional tennis, including travel, coaches, nutrition, equipment, and more, are challenging even for players ranked in the top 100 worldwide.

Kevin Quinn, Tennis Ireland’s CEO, remarked on Carr’s retirement, saying, “We are sad to see Simon finish up, but very grateful for all he did for Irish tennis. Going on the circuit at 15 is not easy, but he showed huge drive and determination as he climbed the world rankings and always represented us with distinction. We wish him all the best for his future and hope that tennis, and indeed tennis in Ireland, will always be a part of it.”

From everyone at Mullingar Tennis Club, we thank Simon Carr for his drive and passion for tennis, which has undoubtedly inspired many players, not just in Mullingar but across Ireland. We wish Simon the best of luck in his future endeavours and are proud to have been a part of his successful career.

Simon concluded his announcement with a poetic note: “I will always be grateful for the amazing people, experiences, and life lessons this sport has given and continues to give me. One door closes, and another opens. Let’s see what’s next.”