Former World No. 5 Daniela Hantuchova announced her retirement from professional tennis at Wimbledon. The likeable WTA star posted the news both in a Twitter video and on her Facebook page.
Wimbledon: Djokovic Holds No Malice For McEnroe
“I want to tell you with all my appreciation and happiness inside of me, hat the time has come to retire from professional tennis,” Hantuchova said in her Facebook post. “This does not mean that I’m saying good bye to tennis at all!i have learned that it is impossible in life to say good bye to the people and things we love with all our heart and for me tennis is one of them.”
The 34-year-old Slovakian started her career in 1999. Her career highlights include winning Indian Wells twice in 2002 and also in 2007. She won seven WTA singles titles, nine WTA doubles titles and completed a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles. In singles, she reached the Australian Open semifinals, as well as the US Open and Wimbledon quarterfinals.
"I'm super happy," Hantuchova told WTA Insider at Wimbledon, "I thought it was going to be the most difficult decision of my life, and it was. It took me a while to make this step, but once I did it I just feel such incredible joy, happiness, relief in a way. All the emotions are coming together in an incredible and beautiful way. I'm looking at everything that's happening to me with such appreciation that I feel like I couldn't have chosen a better time."
Hantuchova endured a rib injury at this year’s Madrid Open. After that, she was able to take some time and reflect on her career. It was then she decided to call time on being a tennis player and focus on her new projects.
Those include being a commentator for Fox Sports Asia and managing her own health food snack company called D-One.
“Tennis has been the biggest love of my life so far,” Hantuchova added. “I hope the next one will be the real one, in a different way. It's been everything. It's in my DNA and it always will be.”
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)