Celebrating Ivan Dodig's retirement: 'I all the time gave every little thing'

Retirements

Celebrating Ivan Dodig’s retirement: ‘I all the time gave every little thing’

ATPTour.com speaks completely to the Croatian about his profession

November 21, 2025

On 6 February 2011, Ivan Dodig hit an ace to defeat Michael Berrer and declare his first ATP Tour singles title in entrance of his dwelling followers in Zagreb. Or so the Croatian thought.

Dodig threw his racquet into the group and walked as much as the online considering the match was over. Chair umpire Cedric Mourier, now an ATP Supervisor, instructed the righty it had been a let.

“I used to be like, ‘No approach’. I couldn’t consider it,” Dodig instructed ATPTour.com. “It was a busy scenario as a result of I threw the racquet and I wanted to ask the man to please give me again the racquet. I misplaced the following level, and it was Deuce. In some way, I managed to complete the match. I used to be fortunate. I all the time was excited about it. Think about that I misplaced that match, it will have been a catastrophe.”

As an alternative, Dodig closed out a 6-3, 6-4 victory for his lone tour-level singles trophy and within the 15 years since has crafted a memorable profession in singles and doubles. The proud 40-year-old, who reached No. 29 within the PIF ATP Rankings, No. 2 within the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings and received 24 tour-level doubles titles, has retired.

“At first of the 12 months, I used to be contemplating my choices. After which by way of the 12 months, after a few months, I already determined and the individuals near me knew it will be my final 12 months,” Dodig mentioned. “However I did not put a lot consideration into that, and now on the finish, previously couple of months, I made a decision and at last began to share the great pals that this could be my final 12 months.”

Having completed rather a lot in his profession in each singles and doubles, Dodig merely felt that it was a very good time to hold up his racquet.

“Often gamers break Prime 100 on the age 20, 21. I broke Prime 100 [when I was] virtually 24. However after that, I stayed there for a very long time, for 15, 16 years,” Dodig mentioned. “I achieved a variety of issues, and performed a lot tennis in singles and doubles. So it is a fairly lengthy profession for me, and I’m actually glad about it and actually had fun all these years.”

Dodig is from Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the identical small city as former World No. 3 Marin Cilic. Dodig is almost 4 years older than Cilic, however they grew up collectively and are greatest pals.

Their city is thought extra for spiritual pilgrimages than athletics. When Dodig and Cilic had been rising up, the one tennis participant they might watch on tv was Goran Ivanisevic.

“That is how all of us [fell] in love with tennis and we began to dream,” Dodig recalled.

Cilic moved to Zagreb at an early age to chase his goals and later skilled underneath the tutelage of Bob Brett. He reached nice heights within the sport, profitable a significant title on the 2014 US Open, however by no means let slip his relationship with Dodig. They even received the silver medal collectively in males’s doubles on the Tokyo Olympics.

“We’ve got to be proud. It’s a particular story and a particular present. We received from the start to the tip and [spent] a variety of time sitting collectively speaking about it,” Dodig mentioned. “It is particular and never so many individuals know, however the journey we have now was totally different from so many others and we’re happy with that. We motivated so many children round right here, round this area, to play tennis. And even now to see so many children enjoying tennis due to us, it is an excellent factor.”

The identical 12 months he triumphed in Zagreb, Dodig surprised then-World No. 2 Rafael Nadal 1-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion in Canada. The Croatian additionally earned a number of wins in opposition to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Milos Raonic and Cilic, and beat the likes of Kei Nishikori.

“I had an excellent profession in singles, I’ve to confess,” Dodig mentioned. “So many good wins, nice recollections.”

All through his singles profession, Dodig excelled in doubles. Finally, his again started to hassle him and he performed his closing tour-level singles match in July 2017, transitioning to doubles.

The Croatian received three males’s doubles majors, claiming glory at Roland Garros in 2015 with Marcelo Melo, on the 2021 Australian Open with Filip Polasek and at 2023 Roland Garros with Austin Krajicek. Dodig received six Masters 1000 titles and competed within the Nitto ATP Finals 9 instances with 4 totally different companions: Melo, Marcel Granollers, Polasek and Krajicek.

“I feel I made an excellent, nice determination at the moment,” Dodig mentioned. “I prolonged my profession for one more seven, eight years in doubles and loved wonderful success in doubles with nice companions.”

Krajicek, with whom Dodig received Yr-Finish ATP Doubles No. 1 offered by PIF honours in 2023, mentioned: “What an incredible profession he is had. He is been somebody that I’ve seemed as much as for a very long time, and clearly I’ve an incredible quantity of respect for him. [It has been a privilege] to be a small a part of his journey and play alongside him and actually get to really feel like he is virtually household to me. We had a good time enjoying collectively and had a variety of success. It’s superior to see somebody like Ivan, who’s been such a a job mannequin for therefore many younger guys coming into the game, and to uphold such a excessive commonplace of labor ethic and grit his complete profession has been actually enjoyable to observe. I all the time had an incredible quantity of respect for Ivan and naturally want him nothing however the very best transferring ahead.”

For Dodig’s half, the 40-year-old hopes he has made a distinction for the following technology.

“I hope that by way of my sports activities profession that I motivated some children to discover a approach and to seek for their goals. Hopefully they will additionally look to attain their goals and if I motivated them just a little bit, I am very proud and glad,” Dodig mentioned. “I all the time gave every little thing on the tennis court docket — for myself, for my household, for the neighborhood and for the individuals who love tennis and can attempt to be skilled. I gave every little thing into it and I am very glad and glad.”