Ivanovic says retirement wasn't overnight decision

Dec 30, 2016
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Ivanovic says retirement wasn't overnight decision

The former No. 1 ended her career with a Facebook live announceme

Published Dec 30, 2016

After holding the world No. 1 ranking for twelve weeks, winning 15 WTA titles (including Roland Garros in 2008) and playing 750 matches, Ana Ivanovic officially retired at 29 years of age.

On Wednesay, Ivanovic went live on Facebook to announce directly to her fans and supporters that she will be leaving the sport after being plagued by injuries. She explained that she already has other ventures lined up in the fields of fashion, health, lifestyle and philanthropy.

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Ivanovic opened up to *WTA Insider* on how she made the difficult decision.

"It's a mix of things, obviously. It hasn't been an overnight decision. It's been on my mind for a little bit but I tried to also follow my heart because for me, it's proven to be the best way..." Ivanovic said.

"From where I came from, when I look back I am just very very proud of myself and everyone around me who helped me achieve these things."

The Serb has been on the tour since 2003, and first fell in love with the sport as a child while watching Monica Seles on television. Not only was she successful on the court, but also off of it. She's a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia, has been featured in video games and appeared in a number of international magazines. Her personal life has also been busy; she wed fellow athlete Bastian Schweinsteiger earlier in 2016.

With the surprising announcement, the internet, of course, erupted. Ivanovic's live video received more than 2.3 million views, 8.4K comments, 5.3K shares and 79K reactions. The Twitter world had a lot to say, with reactions coming in from players and fans alike.

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"I will definitely miss my friends that I've made along the way, but I always hope I'll meet them again..." Ivanovic said. "The irony actually is that I will miss traveling. That's the part that I'm also looking forward to the most, that I'll get to be home more."