Two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling has announced his retirement from professional tennis due to illness.
Soderling, who famously ended Rafael Nadal's 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros in 2009, has been forced to end his career at the age of 31 having suffered from glandular fever since 2011.
A big server, Soderling enjoyed particular success in the French capital, reaching the final in 2009 and 2010, and until this year was the only man to beat Nadal on the clay of Paris. He reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open in the same period.
The Swede had hoped to return to competitive action in 2016 after making progress in his recovery from the illness but has finally admitted defeat, bringing an end to a career that saw him reach as high as number four in the world rankings.
Soderling wrote on tennis.se: "With this letter I want to inform you that I have decided to end my career as a professional tennis player.
"A few weeks before the Swedish Open in Bastad in 2011 I became ill with glandular fever.
"Since I was not aware of the seriousness of this, I made the mistake of continuing to train and compete with the virus in my body, which resulted in a sharp overtraining syndrome. I have since struggled to recover completely from this.
"With the disease it has been impossible for me to train 100 percent and I was forced to rest after any physical effort. In some periods I felt so bad that I was completely bed-ridden.
"This past year, however, my health improved and I have been able to increase my exercise levels, but my recovery after exercise is unfortunately still not as I would like."
"I've realised that I will not be healthy enough to be able to play tennis at the level I demand of myself. For that reason I have decided to end my career as a professional tennis player."
He added: "I feel fortunate and can proudly look back on my career as being very successful. I have achieved and have experienced things that few are privileged to."
Source: PA
