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SportsAna Ivanovic: Panic attacks forced early retirement at age 29
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Former world number one tennis player Ana Ivanovic (38) has made a sad confession about her early retirement from professional tennis at age 29 in December 2016. In an interview on the Croatian sports talk show 'Neuspjeh prvaka' hosted by Slaven Bilić, Ivanovic revealed that severe panic attacks were a major reason for ending her career, not just the injuries previously cited. She stated that in her final years, she experienced intense panic attacks as soon as she stepped onto the court and was terrified of playing in front of an audience. Ivanovic, who won the French Open in 2008 and 15 WTA singles titles, said she never spoke about it publicly before. Despite the difficulty of leaving tennis, which had been her life since age five, she does not regret her decision and is happy with her current life. She was married to German football star Bastian Schweinsteiger from 2016 to 2025, and the couple has three children.
Source report
Ana Ivanovic (38), one of the finest tennis players of her generation, has made a candid confession about the real reason behind her early retirement.
The Serbian star won the French Open in 2008, became world number one, and claimed 15 singles titles on the WTA Tour. She ended her professional career in December 2016 at just 29 years old, citing injuries at the time. Now, however, she has revealed that mental health struggles played a decisive role.
"Severe Panic Attacks"
Appearing on the Croatian sports talk show "Neuspjeh prvaka" hosted by Slaven Bilić (57) — Croatia's new national coach and former Bundesliga star — Ivanovic opened up about her struggles:
"In the last years of my career, I had very strong panic attacks as soon as I stepped onto the court. I never talked about it, but I really had severe panic attacks."
She explained that while others noticed her difficulties on the court, the root cause was not physical:
"In reality, I was just panicking and couldn't go on. I was terrified of having to go back on the court the next day and play in front of an audience."
No Regrets About Leaving Early
Despite the panic attacks, stepping away from tennis at such a young age was not easy:
"Of course it wasn't an easy step and it was hard for me to give up tennis, because since I was five years old it was my life, my first love, something I really loved and was very good at. But I felt it was the right time for me."
Ivanovic stands by her decision to this day:
"I miss the big tournaments, the competition, the feeling, the adrenaline, but I don't regret my decision. I am very happy where I am now."
She was married to Bastian Schweinsteiger from 2016 to 2025, and the couple has three children together.
A Decision She Saw Coming
While many were surprised by her early retirement, Ivanovic was not:
"I remember saying in my twenties that I wasn't the type to play until 40. That never appealed to me because I knew there were other things I wanted to do in life."
Source
BILD - SportWestern
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Ana Ivanovic Reveals Panic Attacks Forced Early Tennis Retirement