Grand Slam Winner Ana Ivanovic Retires at 29

Former world number 1 Ana Ivanovic has decided to quit competitive tennis.

"After 13 year of playing tennis professionally, I have taken an extremely difficult decision retire from competitive tennis," wrote Ana Ivanovic in her retirement letter posted on Facebook yesterday. The former world number one tennis player says, she is retiring as she can no longer meet her "own high standards."

"I can only play if I can perform up to my own high standards, and I can no longer do that. It is time to move on."

To my dear supporters.... pic.twitter.com/9ycCamNela

— Ana Ivanovic (@anaivanovic) December 28, 2016

The Serbian player topped the charts in 2008 and stayed there for 8 long weeks when she won the Grand Slam Tournament at the French Open Final in the year 2008. After the Grand Slam title, Ana Ivanovic has been trying to get back to form but her ranks dipped to 65 in the year 2010. Regaining form, Ivanovic ended 2014 at 5 but again slipped back to 63 this year.

Ana Ivanovic retires at 29
Picture Credit: CNN

Ana Ivanovic started playing tennis in an empty swimming pool at the age of 5. She trained in the same club as  Novak Djokovic. She became the first Serbian woman to reach a Grand Slam final at Roland Garros since Monica Seles. In an interview with Associated Press in the year 2007, Ivanovic said, "My goal is to be No. 1 and to win Grand Slams," Ivanovic said. "There are many other players who want the same thing, but I'm on a good way to achieve it."

Ana Ivanovic retires at 29
Picture Credits: Sportsxm

In the letter she posted, Ivanovic says she had always dreamt about tennis since the time she saw Monica Seles play. She said in her letter, "By the time I was ranked No 1 in the world in 2008, I'd seen highs I've never dreamed of. I've won 15 WTA Tour singles titles, I played three Grand Slam titles and Fed Cup final."

Former World number one, Ana Ivanovic retires at 29
Picture Credits: Stuff.co.nz

Ivanovic, after a bad exit from last August's US Open, insisted she would be back after a full recovery from the injuries she had gone through. But she decided to bring her career in tennis to an end. But she wrote in her letter that she "won’t be disappearing completely from the circuit.”

Even though it might be disheartening to see a leading woman tennis player go, her decision is being lauded by many on social media for retiring on her own terms.

@AnaIvanovic my goodness I will miss your smile. All my love ❤️❤️

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) December 28, 2016

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