Former Wimbledon star Tim van Rijthoven has announced his shock retirement from tennis. The 28-year-old has decided to hang up his racket just three years after battling Novak Djokovic at the All England Club.

Van Rijthoven's career highlights came in 2022 when he enjoyed several high-profile wins as a relative unknown. The Dutchman entered the Libema Open as a wildcard, ranked No.205 in the world, but defeated three top 20 players -Taylor Fritz (No.14), Felix Auger-Aliassime (No.9) and Daniil Medvedev (No.2) - on the way to clinching his only ATP title. Van Rijthoven took his strong form into Wimbledon, where he earned £190k for facing eventual champion Djokovic in the last 16. His highest ranking saw him reach No.101, with persistent injuries limiting his progress, and Van Rijthoven has now decided to call time on his tennis career.

"Dear all, with a heavy heart, today I have to share something that I have been trying to process for a long time," he wrote in a heartfelt post on social media. "My professional tennis career is forced to end.

"Due to a stubborn elbow injury that, despite all rehabilitation and medical trips, fails to recover, I am forced to say goodbye to the sport I have lived my whole life. I wish I had seen it differently. I would like to say goodbye on my own terms, with a racket in hand and an audience in the stands. But sometimes the body decides differently than the head.

"Still, I look back with an incredible amount of pride and gratitude. From being a little boy in my mother's arms with big dreams to winning the Liebema Open in 2022, my first ATP title, in front of my home crowd in Rosmalen - it will forever be one of the best moments of my life.

"And of course, the fourth round of Wimbledon, where I got the chance to compete against a living legend: Novak Djokovic on Centre Court. The fact that I was allowed on that stage is something that no one will ever take away from me."

Van Rijthoven reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2022 proved to be his best showing at a Grand Slam. Once again entering as a wildcard and making his first appearance at Wimbledon, he won his opening match against Argentina's Federico Delbonis in straight sets. However, there were more high-profile wins to come.

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In the second round, Van Rijthoven upset American star and 15th seed Riley Opelka, clinching a four-set victory. He then eliminated Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili, who was seeded 22nd. This set up a clash with Djokovic, with Van Rijthoven claiming the second set before losing valiantly to the Serbian, who went on to win his seventh Wimbledon title.

Despite his star rising, injuries meant Van Rijthoven failed to break into the top 100 during his career. He had multiple injury lay-offs, including a nine-month back injury and attributed his retirement to a persistent elbow issue.

In recent years, Van Rijthoven had competed in Challenger events and ATP qualifying rounds. His most recent ATP singles matches saw him lose in the first qualifying rounds at the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year.

In his parting message on social media, Van Rijthoven said: "I want to thank everyone who supported me on this journey: my family, team, coaches, physiotherapists, sponsors and fans. I don't know exactly what will happen next, but I know that my heart will always be with tennis. See you soon - maybe on the court, maybe not. Who knows."