Olympic doubles gold medallist Sebastien Lareau has decided to retire from professional tennis after missing most of the 2002 season recovering from a knee injury.

The Mont-Royal, Que.- native had hinted last week that he was considering leaving tennis, but made the final decision on Thursday.

"It was a tough decision to make," Lareau said. "I've been giving it a lot of thought and I want to spend more time with my family."

Sebastien Lareau, right, celebrates with doubles partner Daniel Nestor after winning the gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.(CP Photo)

Lareau, 29, played in just four tournaments since undergoing surgery in August, 2001.

Lareau partnered with Daniel Nestor of Toronto to win doubles gold at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, upsetting the famous Australian doubles team of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in four sets.

He also captured the world doubles championships with Alex O'Brien in 1999 and was a key member of the Canadian Davis Cup squad.

Lareau became the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam title when he and O'Brien won the U.S. Open doubles championship in 1999.