A talented tennis player who faced Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon has announced his retirement at the age of 28 after being "forced to say goodbye" to the sport.
Tim van Rijthoven, who achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 101 in 2022, was a highly-rated prospect in his teenage years.
In fact, the Dutchman trained at the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida, but even then, he struggled with injuries. Van Rijthoven had surgery on his wrist and battled inflammation of the tendons on the inner side of his elbow.
“They call it golfer’s elbow, but I got it playing tennis,” he said in 2022, shortly after reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon as a wildcard before losing to Novak Djokovic.
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Van Rijthoven recorded a number of high-profile wins in his near decade-long professional career, including his maiden ATP title at the Libema Open in 2022, when he overcome the odds to defeat world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev.
But on Tuesday, the 28-year-old was forced to retire from tennis after failing to recover from a persistent elbow injury.
In an emotional statement on his social media, Van Rijthoven opened up on his decision to say goodbye to the sport before mentioning his fourth round match against Djokovic, and the Libema Open victory over Medvedev.
“Dear all, with a heavy heart, I have to share something today that I have been trying to process for a long time," he wrote.
"My professional tennis career is forced to end. Due to a stubborn elbow injury that, despite all the rehabilitation and medical journeys, fails to recover, I am forced to say goodbye to the sport l've lived my entire life.
"I would have liked to see it differently. I would have liked to say goodbye on my own terms, with a racket in hand and the audience in the stands. But sometimes the body decides differently than the head. Yet I look back with an incredible amount of pride and gratitude.
"From a little boy in mamas arms with big dreams to winning the Libéma Open in 2022, my first ATP title, in front of an own audience in Rosmalen - will forever be one of the best moments of my life.
"And of course the fourth round at Wimbledon, where I got the opportunity to compete against a living legend: Novak Djokovic on CenterCourt. The fact that I was allowed on that stage is something no one will ever take away from me."
He added: "I want to thank everyone who supported me on this journey: my family, team, coaches, physios, sponsors and fans. I don't know exactly what will happen next, but I do know that my heart will always stay with tennis.
"See you soon - maybe along the track maybe not. Who knows. With sporty regards, Tim.”
Where to buy last-minute Wimbledon tickets
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Jack Kenmare