Argentina’s Gisela Dulko announced on her web site that she has retired from pro tennis. The 27-year-old won four career titles in singles and 17 in doubles, including the 2011 Australian Open with Flavia Pennetta. The duo was ranked No. 1 in the world in 2010. Dulko reached a career-high No. 27 ranking in singles in 2005. She is married to Spanish soccer player Fernando Gago.
“Tennis has been my life for the past 20 years,” Dulko wrote. “I started playing when I was seven. I gave tennis my total devotion. With all my energy and my love I achieved things I never believed possible. Along the long road, there were many great moments and some which were not so great….The reason why I have decided to retire from tennis is because I now have other priorities on which I want to focus. As a result, I don’t have the same desire or ability to make the sacrifices which are necessary to live the life of a tennis pro….This is my way of saying goodbye to tennis, a sport with which I fell in love as a very young girl and will continue to love my whole life.”