23/03/2026
❤️
International Tennis Coaches Hall of Famer Per Renström Has Left Us
One of the greatest in international tennis medicine, Per Renström, has passed away.
Per Renström was an orthopedic surgeon and sports physician, and from 1997 a professor at the Karolinska Institute. He was also a pioneer in Swedish sports medicine. He reached a wide audience through the book Injuries in Sports, which he co-authored with Lars Peterson and was first published in 1977. The fifth edition was released in 2024.
Through his work, he contributed to a greater understanding of sports injuries and educated, inspired, and encouraged many athletes as well as colleagues in the medical field. For many years, he helped countless Swedish tennis players with injury problems to find the right specialist care, both nationally and internationally.
His interest in tennis began early and followed him throughout his life, both as a dedicated spectator and a recreational player. This interest deepened further through the tennis successes of his son, Mårten. Per was also actively involved in club life, including serving as chairman of Pixbo Tennis Club.
Within the Swedish Tennis Association, he took the initiative to establish the Medical Committee (later the Medical Council), which he led for more than two decades. He served as physician for the Swedish Davis Cup team from 1993 to 2002 and also held international roles as a member of the medical committees of the ATP, the International Tennis Federation, and the International Olympic Committee. Together with colleagues, he co-founded the Society of Tennis Medicine and Science (STMS), an organization dedicated to advancing tennis medicine worldwide. STMS has organized several international tennis medicine conferences in collaboration with the Swedish Tennis Association.
On October 11, he was inducted into the International Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame (ITCHOF), recognizing his outstanding lifetime contribution to tennis medicine. On that same occasion, he also inducted the first two recipients of the Renström’s Award of Tennis Medicine and Science, Fredrik Johansson and Mark Kovacs.
Per Renström leaves behind a life’s work characterized by knowledge, dedication, and a strong desire to help others. Many within Swedish tennis have much to thank him for—both for his expertise and for the support he provided over the years.
Thank you for everything that you did and for who you were! We will never forget.
Per Renström was 84 years old.
