Czech Daniela Bedanova, once ranked 16th in the world, has retired from professional tennis at the age of 22 after a string of injuries, the daily Sport reported on Thursday. "As I feel it now, the end is definitive. I struggled for a year, the injuries kept coming back," Bedanova said.

The 22-year old last played a tournament in Kedzierzyn-Kozle in Poland in August, but was forced to withrdraw from a match against Marta Lesniak because of a hand injury.

"I am only 22 and perhaps I will miss it so much that I will try again one day. But now I have to find a different programme for my life."

Bedanova won one WTA tournament in 2000 and reached the U.S. Open quarter-finals in 2001.