21 February, ZAGREB (AP): Ivo Karlovic, who hasn’t participated in a tennis tournament in two to three years, has formally announced his retirement.
In a post on X, the former Twitter platform, the 2.11-meter (6 foot, 11-inch) Croatian stated, “I’ve had a very gratifying, unorthodox and long career coming from extremely humble beginnings, especially for a tennis player.”

Karlovic, who turns 45 next Monday, last participated in an ATP match in October 2021 when he lost in the second round of qualifying at Indian Wells, California. Approximately six weeks prior, he had lost in the first round of the U.S. Open singles event. That was his last Grand Slam encounter.
In addition to eight singles titles, a record of 371 victories, 346 defeats, and $10.1 million in prize money, he concluded his 25-year career. In August 2008, he peaked at No. 14 in the singles rankings.
In 2009, he reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, which was his greatest Grand Slam singles achievement. When Croatia defeated Slovakia in the final to win the nation’s first Davis Cup in 2005, he also triumphed alongside the team.

With 13,728 aces at the end of his career, he was second only to John Isner with 14,470. At Halle in 2015, Karlovic smashed 45 aces in a best-of-three set match, setting a record. Two weeks later, at Wimbledon, he became the only player to hit at least 40 aces in three straight games.
Boris Becker, a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, was one of the people who praised Karlovi ç for his serve, referring to it as “the best in tennis.”