There will be no more 'love' for Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Instead, he will be saying, 'hit me' as he begins his new career as a professional poker player. The Russian tennis legend announced his retirement from tennis in a local newspaper today.

I have retired,' Kafelnikov told the Independent newspaper. 'But I have not officially announced it yet. Some people still think I am just taking a break, but I believe that my time in tennis has gone by. Even if I came back, I would have no chance to play at the level I was.'

Kafelnikov was ranked number one in the world during the 1999 season. He won 26 ATP titles in his career including the 1996 French Open and the 1999 Australian Open. He also won a gold medal at the 2000 summer Olympics.

'The most important thing was not to disappoint my fans,' Kafelnikov remarked. 'It is very hard to earn a good image in Russia. So when people on the street in Moscow ask why I stopped playing, I say 'because I don't want to see you people crying when I lose.' They understand that.'

Now, the former tennis player plans to play professional poker and is presently competing in a competition in England just south of London.

I find it very exciting,' he said. 'Because you win not with the cards but with your skills. With body language you can win a game, but also you can lose a game. You need guts in poker, as in tennis. And if you don't believe in your ability, you don't win. In tennis I believed in myself, that's why I had so much success.'

It remains to be seen if Kafelnikov will have similar success at the poker table.