Ana Ivanović has affirmed that she holds no regrets regarding her decision to retire early from professional tennis and has never contemplated a return to the sport since then.
Ivanovic embarked on her professional tennis career at just 15 years old in August 2003. Throughout her tenure on the WTA tour, she secured an impressive 15 singles titles, including a notable victory at the 2008 French Open.
Despite this triumph, she faced numerous challenges with injuries, which hindered her consistency on the tour. These struggles led to a decline in her ranking, with Ivanovic dropping to as low as World No. 65 by July 2010.
In December 2016, Ivanovic announced her retirement through a video on Facebook, citing her inability to maintain the elite level of play due to persistent injuries.
She expressed, “It is a difficult decision, but I feel the time is right to move on.
I have been hampered by injuries recently and unable to maintain the top physical form that is required for the sport. My standards are set quite high, and I feel I have been unable to match them for a while.”
In a recent interaction with fans on X (formerly Twitter), Ivanovic reiterated her contentment with her retirement decision, affirming that it was the right choice at the time and emphasizing her joy in starting a family while still occasionally playing tennis.
Reflecting on what distinguishes a good player from a great one, she highlighted mental strength, discipline, consistency, and talent.
Ivanovic shared insights into her enduring friendship with Angelique Kerber, revealing that they continue to meet regularly. When asked to recall her favorite on-court moment with Kerber, she fondly reminisced about their encounter at the 2013 Linz final, despite losing the matches 6-4 and 7-6(6) to the German.
