Former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson is quitting professional tennis after more than 15 years on the ATP tour.The 34-year-old Swede won nine singles titles and reached a top ranking of no. 7 in 2002.
However injuries forced him to take long breaks from the game in recent years.
“After a lot of thinking, I have now decided to step off the train and end my professional tennis career,” he said in a statement Friday.Johansson said the biggest moments of his career were winning the 2002 Australian Open title and reaching the Wimbledon semifinals in 2005.
“During the fall I had to go through yet another operation after a foot injury and a month ago I became a dad for the second time.”
He was also part of Sweden’s Davis Cup-winning team in 1998 and won an Olympic silver medal in doubles in Beijing last year with Simon Aspelin.
Perhaps the recent success of his compatriot, Robin Soderling at this year's French Open convinced him that Sweden tennis has a new future.
(Via AP)
