Three-time Roland Garros champion Gustavo Kuerten told the Brazilian press on Tuesday that he intends to retire from professional tennis in 2008.
In an interview with a local sports TV news show, Kuerten revealed that he will play the last professional tournaments of his career this year. One of his goals is to participate in the Beijing Olympics, he added.
Another goal for 2008 is to return to the French Open, which will only be possible if he gets one of the 16 invitations available to athletes that did not qualify for the Grand Slam competition.
"It will be an opportunity to play some special tournaments and try to revive in these championships some of those good moments," said Kuerten, popularly known as Guga, who won three singles titles (1997, 2000 and 2001) in the clay court of the Roland Garros Stadium. The next edition is scheduled to start on May 25.
"I wish I could play more, but it would be very hard to me," he added.
The 31-year-old player, who finished 2000 as the world ranking leader, had to undergo two surgeries due to chronic pain in his right hip, starting in 2003. Since then, he had to take long leaves, and never recovered his old shape.
Source: Xinhua
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