Robin Soderling, Two-Time French Open Finalist, Retires From Professional Tennis
Robin Soderling, who is remembered as the player who ended Rafael Nadal's 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros, has announced his retirement from tennis due to illness.
Two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling is retiring at the age of 31 due to illness. (Robin Soderling Out With Mononucleosis Until After Olympics)
The big-serving Swede, who ended Rafael Nadal's 31-match winning streak at the French Open in 2009, has never fully recovered from contracting glandular fever in 2011, when he last played competitively. (Rafael Nadal Loses to Robin Soderling Again)
Soderling, who rose as high as No. 4 and has a 310-170 win-loss ratio, reached the final at Roland Garros in 2009 and 2010.
He had hoped to return to competitive action next year.
Soderling wrote on the Swedish website tennis.se: "I want to inform you that I have decided to end my career as a professional tennis player ... 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."
He said his health had improved in the last year but "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 won 10 singles titles.