Zagreb, Croatia, Mar 8: Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia has announced he will retire from tennis after the Monte Carlo Masters in April.
“It's never an easy decision for any professional athlete to retire,” the 32-year-old told the ATP website. “I look forward to the next stage of my life. Tennis has given me so much and I want to continue to stay involved and contribute in some ways.”
Since turning professional in 1998, Ljubicic has won 10 titles and reached a career-high ranking of No. 3 in May 2006. His biggest title win came at Indian Wells in 2010 when he beat Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick.
Former No. 1 Roger Federer paid tribute to the Bosnian-born Croat.
“He's one of the most feared players on tour,” Federer told the ATP website. “It's sad seeing him go, but he's had a wonderful career and I can only congratulate him for that.”
