Former national No 1 retires at 25

Former British No 1 Katie O'Brien has announced her retirement from competitive tennis – aged just 25.

O'Brien, who peaked at No 84 in the world rankings but leaves as No 281, flew the flag at Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the French Open and won four International Tennis Federation singles titles.

"Having been completely committed to tennis for a long time I feel ready to explore different avenues of life," the East Yorkshire-based O'Brien said.

O'Brien, who was not offered a contract with the Lawn Tennis Association's maximum-funding elite squad last year, said: "I'm very proud of what I've accomplished and I'm grateful to the LTA and my family for all their support."