Sweden’s tennis star Robin Soderling retires

Former world No 4 tennis player Robin Soderling has announced his retirement at the age of 31.

“Thank u so much for all your kind words. So sad I won’t play professional tennis again, but reading all your msgs makes me feel a lot better,” Soderling wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

“I’ve realised that I will not be healthy enough to be able to play tennis at the level I demand of myself,” Soderling   said.

“For that reason I have decided to end my career as a professional tennis player,” he added.

“A few weeks before the Swedish Open in Bastad in 2011, I became ill with glandular fever,” Soderling said.

The Swede, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, before hoped to return to competitive action but has finally admitted defeat.

The Tibro, Sweden native had not taken part in an ATP World Tour event since the year 2011 due his illness.

“In all the years I have believed that I would be able to take me back to the world elite in tennis but now I’ve realized that I will not be healthy enough that I will be able to play tennis at the level I demand of myself,” Soderling said in a statement.

In his 10 years on tour, Soderling compiled a 310-170 match record and captured 10 ATP World Tour titles.

Soderling also reached successive French Open finals in 2009 and 2010. He is also a semi-finalist at the 2002 US Open. A big server equally comfortable on fast indoor courts and on outdoor clay, he enjoyed his best results in Paris. 

The Spaniard, however, lost to world number one Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros quarter-finals earlier this year, that remained his only defeat on the Parisian clay in 71 matches.

At Roland Garros, he made history by handing Rafael Nadal his first loss at the event in 2009 and upset Roger Federer on the same court in 2010. Later that year, Soderling secured his lone ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Masters.

The 31-year-old ended his ATP World Tour career with a win. Soderling entered the 2011 Bastad tournament as the top seed and defeated David Ferrer in the final before being forced to the sidelines.