Swedish Doubles Player Simon Aspelin to Retire

Written by: Staff on 13th July 2011

Swedish Doubles Player Simon Aspelin to Retire |

Simon Aspelin, one of Sweden’s most successful doubles players of all time, is quitting the ATP Tour this week. The 37-year-old has decided to retire because of the grueling traveling schedule.

“I’ve felt like retiring for a while. I’ve kept going but it comes to a point when you know it’s time to stop,” Aspelin said.

SkiStar Swedish Open is Simon’s favourite tournament. His friends and family are always present on the sidelines during this tournament.

“It feels good to come back to Båstad. I’ve played here 12-13 times before. This place is special to me.”

Aspelin turned pro in 1988. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of No. 7 in 2008. His highest singles ranking was 436 back in 1998.

There are two very special moments that stands out in Simon’s career. In 2007, he won the US Open with Julian Knowle, beating the world’s best teams on the way to the final.

In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Simon and fellow Swede Thomas Johansson lost in the finals to Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland.

Another memorable moment was when Aspelin and his partner Todd Perry of Australia played in the quarters at Wimbledon in 2006. Aspelin and Perry won against Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor 23-21 in the final set.

Simon has reached the quarterfinal at the Australian Open in 2006 and at Wimbledon twice, in 2004 and 2006.

Another successful partnership was formed with Australia’s Paul Hanley. Hanley and Aspelin won Hamburg in 2009 and Dubai 2010 together.

The Swedish doubles specialist has been a vital part of the Swedish Davis Cup team since 2001, when he played his first match. He has played in 12 ties and has a total of 6-8 win losses.

Simon is a former student at the famous Pepperdine University in California. He was inducted in the Pepperdine Hall of Fame in 2010.

When asked what the future holds, Simon says he is not sure. “I am going to have some time off. I am hoping to be able to combine my Economics degree with my tennis somehow.”