Safin said that he made the decision to give up his career late in 2008, and now wishes that perhaps he'd waited to announce the news.

'My manager called me (last November) and gave me a great offer to play for another year, so I gave it a shot. But now I have just decided it is my last one.'

He insisted that the decision had been made. 'I want to stick to it. I'm happy (with) what I'm doing. I'm okay with the decision.'

Safin said that the next chapter of his life won't include tennis, a plan obviously subject to change over the coming years.

'It's been a long ride, so I need some time off, you know. It's enough. It was a great 12 years of my career. I don't think I played five years and I retired. I've been around for a long time.'

And he's looking forward to the day when he loses his last match so he can get off the stage for awhile.

'I'm getting too many questions about what I'm going to do, why I'm retiring, and this and that. So I answer the same question - I don't know - a thousand times. Just go on Google and you have the same answer ... Just a few tournaments to go, so I can manage.'