Spanish tennis player Suarez Navarro has announced she will retire following the 2020.

The 31-year-old, who was ranked as high as sixth in the world in 2016, has reached seven Grand Slam quarter-finals and secured two WTA singles titles.

But after 16 years as a professional, Navarro is preparing to put down the racket at the end of next season.

In a statement, she said: "The 2020 season will be my last year in the professional tennis circuit. The sport has been a fundamental part of my life - it has given me immense joy and I cannot be more grateful for all the experiences that it has allowed me to live. 

"At this time, I notice that the time has come to complete a beautiful chapter and begin to enjoy other areas of life. Tennis will always be in me.

"Tennis right now has a very high demand. To be high in the ranking you need absolute consistency, a world-class level of physical conditioning and a 24-hour daily psychological commitment. I have been in high competition for more than 15 years and have lived through these realities since the beginning of my adolescence. 

"These are lessons that have formed me as a person and that will serve me for a lifetime.I want to enjoy one last season with the same professionalism as always. I am going to do a quality preparation, my whole team is going to travel with me from the month of January and I plan to compete until the end of the season. My desire is clear: to be proud of this last effort when I reach the end of the road."

Navarro will be hoping she can reach the last four of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open in January.