Now it is official, a well-known Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanovic is retiring at the age of 29. At one point she was a world No1 and the champion of French Open 2008, but the player has made her decision to retire from tennis for good.
And here is what she wrote on her official Facebook page:
“There is no other way to say this. I have decided to retire from professional tennis. It was a difficult decision but there is so much to celebrate,” Ivanovic said on her Facebook page. “Don’t be sad, be optimistic alongside me. My love and my greatest thank you to all of you.”
She has also made an announcement in a video post where she said that due to her physical fitness she could no longer deliver the superior game.
“I played so many memorable matches. But staying at those heights in any professional sport requires top physical form and it’s well-known that I have been hampered by injuries,”
“I can only play if I perform up to my own high standards. I can no longer do that, so it’s time to move on.”, she stated.
No Serbian female tennis player has won a gram slam tournament before Ana. She managed to do that upon beating Dinara Safina in the final of French Open 2008. A series of victories continued and side by side with Novak Djokovic, she was opening her way towards the top.
“I began dreaming about tennis when I was five. My dear parents backed me all the way and by the time I was the world No1 and won Roland Garros in 2008, I have seen the heights I never dreamt of achieving,” she also said.
The top spot was hers for only nine weeks before she hit the 22nd place in 2009. In 2014, she managed to return to top five but fell to 63rd place in 2016 after, what can now be regarded as, her last match in WTA tour.
“I am so excited about what comes next. I will become an ambassador of sport and healthy life and will also explore opportunities in business, beauty and fashion, among other endeavours,” Ivanovic stated.
“Beyond that, who knows. All I can say is that I have lived my dreams and really hope to have helped others do so as well.”
