ANA IVANOVIC announced her retirement from professional tennis in a video on her Facebook page Wednesday.
Ivanovic said her health is the main reason behind her decision, as she is no longer able to perform at 100 percent fitness due to various injuries.
“I’ve decided to retire from professional tennis,” announced Ivanovic after a 13-year career. “It has been a difficult decision, but there’s so much to celebrate.” The Serb added: “I was ranked number one in the world and won Roland Garros in 2008. I’ve seen the highs I never dreamt of achieving.”
Ivanovic’s last outing was a first-round loss at the U.S. Open in September, a result that saw her drop out of the top 50 for the first times since 2010.
A former WTA No. 1 in 2008, Ivanovic struggled in 2016, finishing outside the top 25 for the first time since 2004, her second year on tour.
She finished the year with a record of 15-16, losing six first-round matches, and did not win a WTA title during the season. In recent years, injuries have held her back and she’s had difficulties find the form that saw her win her only Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2008.
After losing in the opening round of the U.S. Open this year, Ivanovic announced she was ending her season early due to wrist and toe injuries.
In July, Ivanovic wed Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger in Venice.
Ivanovic turned 29 in November and is currently ranked No. 63 by the WTA.
She won 15 WTA singles titles in her career, the most recent coming in 2014, where she won four titles on the season at Auckland, Monterrey, Birmingham and Tokyo.(SD-Agencies)
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