Ivan Lendl, who is finishing out of the top 10 rankings for the first time since 1979, says he might call it quits after one more year. "I'm going to have another crack at it," Lendl told the New York Times, "but if I play lousy, there's a good chance 1994 could be my last year."
The 33-year-old Lendl, who is 11th on the money list with $1 million this year, fell from eighth to 19th in the ATP rankings, and won only two titles, Munich and Tokyo."I don't think I belong out of the top 10 yet," he said, "but there are reasons why it happened I couldn't control."
Lendl, who once held the No. 1 ranking for 270 weeks, longer than anyone else, had a 33-23 match record in 1993 and had first-round defeats at the Australian and French Opens.
Rivals said Lendl seemed "a step slow", but also remarked on his forehand and the occasional flashes of his old play.
"There are some days when he still hits the ball like a top four player," Andre Agassi said after defeating Lendl at a tournament in August.
Lendl, whose career earnings total more than $20 million, said he didn't feel his 1993 results were due to a "lack of skill."
"It was more a lack of movement in my hip and legs."
Lendl, who will play at the Australian Open next month, has won eight Grand Slam titles. He last held the No. 1 ranking in 1990, after winning the Australian Open.