• Ivanovic won French Open in 2008 and was world No1 for nine weeks • Current world No63 admitted to being ‘hampered by injuries’ in recent years

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Ana Ivanovic, the former world No1 and 2008 French Open champion, has retired from tennis at the age of 29, the Serb confirmed on Wednesday. In a two-minute video streamed on her official Facebook page , the 29-year-old said hanging up her racket -- after being hindered by injuries -- was a "difficult decision" to make. "It's well known I've been hampered by injuries so for myself, my fans and all these young girls and boys who might be watching me -- I can only play if I perform up to my own high standards and I can no longer do that, so it's time to move on," said Ivanovic, a longtime friend of Serbian men's 12-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic. Ivanovic returned to the top five in 2014, reaching the French Open semi-finals in 2015 to spark hopes of a revival, but slipped to 63rd this year after losing to the Czech player Denisa Allertova in the US Open first round, her final match on the WTA tour.
Former world number 1 tennis player Ana Ivanovic announces her retirement at the age of 29.