Former No.1 Player Edberg Says the 1996 Season Will Be His Last

Stefan Edberg, one of the gentlemen of tennis, announced Monday that he would retire after next season.

Edberg, who will turn 30 next month, said he will play a full season in 1996, ending a 13-year career. The former No. 1 player in the world won only one tournament this year and, for the first time in a decade, dropped out of the top 10.

“I feel like I’m still capable of playing some great tennis, and I want to leave the game on a high note, while I am still playing at a level I can be proud of,” Edberg said on a conference call from Sweden.

Edberg, a two-time Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion, finished this season ranked 23rd in the world. The durable Swede has the distinction of having appeared in 50 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, a record.

Edberg’s announcement was no surprise. His gradual dropping in the rankings has been marked by the grace that characterized his career. This year, Edberg was not seeded at Wimbledon. Rather than complain--Wimbledon officials could have seeded him despite his ranking--Edberg accepted the decision with quiet humility and humor.

Edberg held the top ranking in 1990 and 1991 and has won 41 singles titles, six of them in Grand Slam events.