Dinara Safina has retired, her brother says

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Former top-ranked tennis player Dinara Safina has retired, her brother, Marat Safin, told Russian sports agency R-Sport on Friday.

Safina, who turned pro in 2001, has won 12 titles on the WTA Tour and brought home silver at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She spent 26 weeks at the top of the rankings, beginning in April 2009.

Safina, 25, took an indefinite break from the sport in May after injuring her back early last year. At the time, she said she didn’t want to ‘torture myself and my body any longer.’

Her brother said her future plans are unknown.

“An athlete has lived with sports for 20 years,’ he said. ‘Now she needs a year to pull herself together, then she will decide.’

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