Australia's former world top 10 tennis player Alicia Molik has retired from the sport following a long battle with a debilitating inner ear virus and a more recent string of injuries.
The 27-year-old had looked on track to be a genuine singles contender at grand slams when she reached the quarter-finals of the 2005 Australian Open.
But the Olympic bronze medallist was never able to recapture the form that saw her world ranking peak at No.8 in early 2005 as she was physically unable to stand up without fear of over-balancing due to the effects of the inner ear virus.
In more recent times, the popular South Australian has been plagued by leg and arm injuries and said the decision to quit the sport wasn't such a hard one.
"It's tiring and it's very draining but I guess it's a number of things culminating," she told Fairfax newspapers.
"I've spent a lot of time thinking. I did have a huge setback three years ago, with my middle ear problem.
"It took a while to get back and since then I've just struggled with a few more things that I never imagined would come along the way.
"But that isn't the only thing.
"I think I'm still young enough to focus my energies on something that I feel is again challenging."
The charismatic player won five WTA singles titles and seven in doubles including the French and Australian Opens during her career.
The Athens bronze medallist said that reaching the recent Beijing Olympics had been a major goal for her.
But unfortunately she bowed out in the opening round 6-1 6-1 to lowly-ranked Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.