Ivan Ljubičić facts for kids
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| Country (sports) |  Croatia |
|---|---|
| Residence | Monte Carlo, Monaco |
| Born | 19 March 1979 Banja Luka, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Turned pro | 1998 |
| Retired | 15 April 2012 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$10,181,121 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 429–296 (59.2% in ATP Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 10 |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (1 May 2006) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2006) |
| French Open | SF (2006) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (2006, 2007, 2011) |
| US Open | 3R (2005, 2007) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | RR (2005, 2006) |
| Olympic Games | 3R (2000, 2004) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 111–128 (ATP Tour and Grand Slam-level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 70 (16 May 2005) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2010) |
| French Open | 3R (2004, 2006) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (2005, 2006, 2007) |
| US Open | QF (2003, 2009) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Olympic Games |  Bronze Medal (2004) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (2005) |
| Coaching career (2013–2022) | |
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| Coaching achievements | |
| Coachee singles titles total | 17 |
| List of notable tournaments (with champion)
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Ivan Ljubičić is a famous Croatian former professional tennis player. He was also a coach and a TV commentator for tennis. He reached his highest singles ranking of world No. 3 on May 1, 2006.
Some of his biggest achievements include reaching the semifinals of a major tournament, the 2006 French Open. He also won a big Masters title at the Indian Wells Masters in 2010. After he stopped playing, Ljubičić became a coach for top players like Milos Raonic and Roger Federer. He is known for helping Federer improve his backhand and play more offensively.
Contents
Ivan Ljubičić's Tennis Journey
Ivan Ljubičić started his professional tennis career in 1998. He was especially good at indoor tournaments played on carpet or hard courts. He was also a key player for the Croatian team in the Davis Cup.
Early Life and Junior Tennis
Ivan Ljubičić was born in Banja Luka, which was part of Yugoslavia at the time. He started playing tennis in 1988 and quickly won local junior awards. In 1992, because of the war in Bosnia, his family had to leave their home. They moved to Opatija and then Rijeka in Croatia.
In 1993, Ivan went to a tennis club in Italy to train. He showed great promise as a young player.
Becoming a Junior Champion
In 1995, Ivan decided to play for Croatia. He won his first junior championship, becoming the Croatian under-16 champion. That same year, he earned his first points for the ATP rankings. He also played for the Croatian team in the Winter Cup. With his partner Željko Krajan, he won the Dunlop Orange Bowl, which is like the unofficial world championship for under-16 players.
In 1996, Ivan's family moved to Zagreb. He continued to succeed in junior tournaments. His biggest achievement as a junior was reaching the final at Wimbledon. He lost the match but showed great skill. In 1997, he reached the semifinals of the Australian Open junior tournament. He also won the Eddie Herr tournament, which made him the No. 2 junior player in the world. He then started training with professional coach Riccardo Piatti.
Starting His Professional Career (1998-2004)
Ivan became a professional tennis player in 1998. He played in his first ATP Challenger final in Zagreb. In 1999, he won two smaller tournaments called Futures and a Challenger event in France. He also made it to the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters tournament, beating some top players. He finished 1999 ranked No. 77 in the world.
In 2000, he reached two semifinals and three quarterfinals in ATP tournaments. He also played in the Olympic tournament.
His first big win came in 2001 when he won his first ATP singles title in Lyon, France. He beat several strong players to win. This win helped him reach No. 29 in the world rankings.
In 2002, Ivan continued to play well, reaching semifinals and quarterfinals. He also made it past the first round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open. He was also known for hitting many aces, which are serves that opponents cannot return.
By 2004, Ivan was consistently reaching later rounds in big tournaments. A special moment for him was at the Olympics. He teamed up with Mario Ančić and won the bronze medal in doubles. This was a great achievement for Croatia. During this year, Ivan also got married to his wife, Aida, and they later had two children.
Major Successes (2005-2010)
The year 2005 was a fantastic one for Ivan. He won two ATP titles and was the runner-up in six others. He often played against top players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in these finals.
Ivan became the top player for the Croatian Davis Cup team after Goran Ivanišević retired. In 2005, he led Croatia to their first-ever Davis Cup title! He won important matches against strong opponents, including Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick from the United States. In the final, Croatia defeated Slovakia, and Ivan played a huge part in their historic win.
In 2006, Ivan reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open. He then made it even further at the French Open, reaching the semifinals. This was his best result at a Grand Slam. He also won two more ATP titles that year.
Ivan started 2007 by winning the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. He was seeded fourth at the Australian Open but had an early loss. He bounced back by reaching the final of the Zagreb Indoor Open.
In 2010, Ivan achieved one of his biggest career dreams. He won his first-ever Masters Series title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. On his way to the title, he defeated three top-10 players: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Roddick in the final. This made him the first Croatian to win that tournament and the oldest first-time winner of a Masters 1000 event.
Retirement and Coaching Career (2011-Present)
Ivan continued to play in 2011, reaching a final in Metz and semifinals in China. He played his last professional tournament in April 2012 at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, where he officially retired.
After retiring from playing, Ivan Ljubičić became a successful coach and manager.
Coaching Milos Raonic
In 2013, Ivan became the coach for Canadian player Milos Raonic. Under Ivan's guidance, Raonic improved a lot. In 2014, Raonic broke into the top 10 rankings. He also reached his first French Open quarterfinals and his first Wimbledon semifinals. Raonic also made it to two Masters finals.
Coaching Roger Federer
In December 2015, Ivan started working with tennis legend Roger Federer. This was a very important partnership.
In 2016, Federer had knee surgery and other injuries, but Ivan stayed with him. In 2017, under Ivan's coaching, Federer had an amazing comeback. He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open, winning his 18th Grand Slam title. This was a huge win for Federer, especially since he hadn't beaten Nadal at a Grand Slam since 2007.
Federer then won two more Masters titles in Indian Wells and Miami, again beating Nadal in the Miami final. After skipping the clay court season, Federer won his 19th Grand Slam at Wimbledon without losing a single set. He also beat Nadal again in the Shanghai Masters final.
In 2018, Ivan helped Federer defend his Australian Open title. Federer also returned to the No. 1 ranking in the ATP by winning the Rotterdam Open. Ivan Ljubičić's coaching was credited with helping Federer improve his backhand and play a more attacking style of tennis.
Ivan's Playing Style
Ivan Ljubičić was known for his smart and attacking style of play. His most famous weapon was his powerful and accurate serve, which often reached speeds over 130 mph. His serve was compared to Andy Roddick's, another great server of his time.
Ivan usually played from the back of the court, hitting fast and consistent shots with both his forehand and backhand. He was also good at using slice shots and drop shots to surprise his opponents. When he saw a chance, he would come to the net, which also made him a good doubles player. One of his few weaknesses was sometimes struggling to finish long, five-set matches.
Images for kids
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Ivan Ljubičić during a match.
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Ljubičić questioning a line call during a match.
See also
In Spanish: Ivan Ljubičić para niños
