China's Olympics-winning doubles team will split up as the sport's governing body on the mainland steps up its bid for gold at the Beijing Games in 2008.
Speculation was rife this week that the partnership between Sun Tiantian, 26, and 27-year-old Li Ting was about to end.
The pair, who came from virtually nowhere to win the women's doubles gold in Athens in 2004, have had a disappointing run of results in recent months.
They crashed out at the semi-finals stage at the Doha Asian Games earlier this month, losing in straight sets to unheralded Chan Yung-jan and Chuang Chia-jung from Taiwan.
Sun and Li have claimed no major victories this season, whereas national teammates Zheng Jie and Yan Zi returned home with two grand slam titles (Australian Open and Wimbledon). Zheng and Yan will compete in the Watsons Water Champions Challenge in Hong Kong next month.
'I haven't received any official notice up to now,' said Xie Miqing, a media official with the Chinese Tennis Association about the end of Li and Sun's partnership.