Ana Ivanovic fuels rumours of retirement, pregnancy with ambiguous social media post

Ana Ivanovic posted a cryptic message on Twitter on Tuesday, revealing that she will make an announcement on Wednesday. The ambiguous post has since fuelled rumours that the former World No 1 could be retiring from the sport. Some speculate that she may even announce her pregnancy, just the way Victoria Azarenka did back in July.

“My dear fans & supporters. Pls tune in to my Facebook page tomorrow at 6pm UK time, where I’ll be sharing something important with you live,” she posted.

My dear fans & supporters. Pls tune in to my Facebook page tomorrow at 6pm UK time, where I'll be sharing something important with you live. pic.twitter.com/qRwf16kw4a

— Ana Ivanovic (@anaivanovic) December 27, 2016

The 29-year-old had a rough 2016 season, winning only 15 matches all year. Her dismal performance saw her slip to 63rd in the WTA rankings.

Ivanovic has struggled with injuries all year, but insisted she was not thinking of retiring. “I just need to really see why this is happening. I had struggled throughout my career. I had some tough times. This is not the first time I’m going through this. It just hurts because I know what I invested,” she said after her first round exit from the US Open.

But soon after, Ivanovic shut down her 2016 season early in September, citing medical advice as the reason. “Unfortunately, due to my recurring wrist injury, I have been advised by my doctor to take some time off court in order to recover and regain my full strength,” she said in a statement .

She was back in training in November and recently competed in this season’s International Premier Tennis League in Asia. She is set to begin the 2017 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, which starts on 2 January. The Serb is also on the entry list for the Australian Open. “I have very fond memories of winning the title in Auckland 2014 and I am determined to make my mark again in 2017,” Ivanovic said .

Going by her recent comments, a retirement seems unlikely but that hasn’t stopped social media from going wild with speculation. Ivanovic married Manchester United’s Bastian Schweinsteiger in July and many fans feel that she could be pregnant with their first child. For now, they will have to wait to find out the reason behind this mysterious Facebook announcement.

With inputs from agencies