Tennis

Ancic retires, citing wear and tear

Published Feb. 23, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Mario Ancic says he has retired from professional tennis because his body would not allow him ''to continue on a high level.''

The 26-year-old Croat said Wednesday it was ''one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make.''

Ancic first came to prominence in 2002 in his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon, where he defeated seventh-seeded Roger Federer in the opening round.

Ancic reached a career-high ranking of No. 7 in 2006, two years after he reached the Wimbledon semifinals for his best Grand Slam result.

However, he suffered from mononucleosis in 2007 and lately has struggled with a back injury.

share