Former No. 1 Safina, 25, retires

Marat Safin says former top-ranked tennis player Dinara Safina, his younger sister, has retired from tennis.

Safin told Russian sports agency R-Sport that the 25-year-old Safina considers her decision ''as a next step in her life.''

Safina turned pro in 2001 and won 12 titles on the WTA Tour. She became No. 1 on April 20, 2009, and spent 26 weeks at the top of the rankings. She injured her back early in 2010 and dropped out of top 20 by the end of the year.

In May, Safina took an indefinite break from tennis in hopes of recovering from chronic back pain.

Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/tennis/article_external/former_no_1_safina_25_retires/7272643

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