Ivanovic calls it quits
The ASB Classic suffered further blows yesterday with Ana Ivanovic confirming that she is retiring from tennis, while Sloane Stephens has pulled out.
The 29-year-old Ivanovic announced on her Facebook page that she won’t play in Auckland next week and has brought an immediate halt to a career that peaked in 2008 with a French Open win.
The news follows Juan Martin del Potro’s decision to skip the men’s tournament the following week and also the Australian Open, because of fitness issues.
Stephens, who was the tournament’s defending champion, is a late withdrawal with a foot injury, which means Naomi Osaka becomes the eighth seed. Naomi Broady and Varvara Lepchenko come into the main draw.
Ivanovic had recently been playing in the International Premier Tennis League in India, but she quit the sport permanently.
‘‘I’ve decided to retire from professional tennis,’’ the Serb said on her Facebook page.
‘‘This has been a difficult decision but there has been so much to celebrate.
‘‘By the time I had I was ranked No 1 in the world in 2008 I had seen highs I never dreamed of. I won 15 WTA titles and played three grand slam finals.
‘‘But seeing those highs demands top physical form and it’s well-known that I have been hampered by injuries and I can only play on if I can perform to my own high standards and I can no longer do that.’’
While it’s disappointing for the profile of the Classic, it’s not something that will affect the quality of the tournament.
The Serbian was billed as one of the big four for the Classic, along with Serena and Venus Williams, plus Caroline Wozniacki. But the reality is she was far behind those three.
Ivanovic was on a five-match losing streak this year when she decided after being bundled out of the US Open in the first round for the fifth year in a row, to take a break for the rest of 2016.
Her last loss was a 7-6 6-1 defeat against Denisa Allen from the Czech Republic in New York, who was ranked 89 in the world.
She had planned to make her return to tennis in Auckland, but that now won’t happen.