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Fernando Gonzalez in action - Source: Getty Images
Chile's Fernando Gonzalez, the former world number five and triple Olympic medallist, has announced that he will retire from playing after the Miami tournament in March.
The 31-year-old, who reached the Australia Open final in 2007, has struggled with his fitness since hip surgery in 2010 and has dropped to 268 in the world rankings.
"These have been very hard months for me, during which I realised I don't have the energy I need nor am I prepared to do all I have to do to be where I want to be," an emotional Gonzalez said.
"I'm retiring from professional tennis but I want to remain close to tennis... After mourning the end of my career there will be nothing better than to work in my Foundation (developing the game in Chile)," he told a news conference.
Gonzalez, one of Chile's most successful players with 11 tour titles, reached number five in January 2007 and won a gold medal in doubles and bronze in singles at the 2004 Athens Olympics and silver in singles at Beijing four years ago.
"I had great times. There's the Australian Open final (lost to Roger Federer), the two Olympic Games. I've always been struck by the thrill of the crowds, it's something you don't forget," he said.
Naming his greatest opponents, Gonzalez added: "Federer, for some reason he beat me so many times (12 out of 13 matches), you never knew what he would come up with next, (Rafael) Nadal too, one of the best minds in tennis history."
