The 31-year-old Thai was once ranked No. 9 and was Asia's top player. He retired this year after a chronic wrist injury kept him off the tour for three years.
He plans to remain involved in tennis, but for now wants to indulge a lifelong passion. This weekend he entered the 1000cc superbike category as an amateur in the Pro Series Thailand Championship.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here"I have loved motorcycle racing since I was young," he said.
Paradorn, who is married to a former Miss Universe, tried his hand at several pursuits since leaving tennis. He starred in a movie, opened a restaurant and sold dietary supplements. And, of course, there was racing. He is now part of the Elf Smart Sports Racing Team.
Paradorn made a brief tennis comeback last September at the ATP Thailand Open, losing a doubles match. He planned a serious comeback at Wimbledon this year, but he injured both arms and his left leg in a second motorcycle racing accident in April.
"It was the most serious arm injury of my life," he said. "I can still hit the ball but not at the level that I would want to. I have been away too long from the circuit and I'm not young anymore. At the same time I have some businesses and I want to enter motor racing. So I decided to call it a day for tennis."
Paradorn plans to make his official tennis farewell at this year's Thailand Open in September and might enter the tournament as an amateur. He also will coach promising youngsters and captain Thailand's Davis Cup team.
"As I said before, I will never feel sorry that I quit because I achieved more than I expected," he said. "I'd rather move on and do what I love."
His goals for racing are less ambitious.
"I don't aim to be a race champion, top three will do," he said. "But my real goal is to become a racing team manager one day."
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