'Ljubi'
At age 33, the big man from Croatia retires from professional tennis with much to be proud of. He commanded a lot of respect on court and off, so an active involvement in tennis off court beckons, since he served on the ATP Player Council since 2002 and was elected Vice-President from 2004-06 and then President from 2006-08.
With his big serve and solid groundies, on his day he could beat the very best. Indoor courts were his bread and butter for years with titles mostly in Europe, but his biggest win came in Indian Wells in the twilight of his career in 2010, with a blistering performance to defeat Roddick in the final. Had he not run into Federer in his prime, he would have won at least 3 more titles. He did also won on grass, which is not surprising, but Ivan did struggle at the Grand Slams. Perhaps on account of his fitness, bad draws or not liking the 5 set format.
Reason to retire: Age
Career titles: 10
Win/Loss: 429/296
Career High Ranking: 3 (2006)
Finest moment: Winning Davis Cup with Croatia in 2005, an Olympic medal and reaching world number 3
Famous For: Winning Indian Wells at 31
Watch: Ivan Ljubicic Retirement Tribute
Watch: Ivan in his prime vs. Federer 2005
