Ivan Ljubicic announced today that he will retire from the ATP World Tour after competing in the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in April.
The Croat, who will turn 33 on 19 March, has been ranked as high as No. 3 on the South African Airways ATP Rankings. He also won the Davis Cup for Croatia in 2005, a bronze medal in doubles with Mario Ancic at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 10 career singles titles, the biggest coming at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in 2010 when he beat Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick.
Ljubicic was also elected to the ATP Player Council, serving six years from 2002-08 (the last two as President) and to the Board of Directors in 2008. “It’s never an easy decision for any professional athlete to retire,” said Ljubicic.
“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.”
Former World No. 1 Roger Federer paid tribute to Ljubicic Wednesday in Indian Wells. “I have a very good friendship with Ljubicic, and it’s been sad seeing him retiring really since I’ve known about it for quite some time,” Federer said. “We’ve talked at length at times about it, but I think it comes at the right time for him and he’s in a perfect spot with his family. He’s just had a second daughter. He’s had a wonderful career.
“He’s one of the most feared players on tour… He’s been a wonderful friend to me on tour, and it’s also been very beneficial to the game of tennis, not just on the court but off the court because he’s been part of the political system here. He has a great future ahead in tennis or whatever he wants to do, because he’s a bright man and he’s a great person. It’s sad seeing him go, but he’s had a wonderful career and I can only congratulate him for that.”
