Indian Wells (US), Mar 16 (IANS): Germany's Tommy Haas, the Indian Wells Tournament Director, has announced his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 39.

Haas made the announcement after Switzerland's Roger Federer's victory over South Korean Hyeon Chung in the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells tournament here on Thursday, reports Efe.

"I consider myself extremely fortunate that I was able play professional tennis for a living for more than two decades," Haas said.

"The sport gave me cherished friendships, an ability to travel the world, and opportunities to create incredible memories. It also taught me a lot about what it means to face challenges, battle back and overcome them," he added.

The German, who became world number two in May 2002, reached the semifinals of the Australian Open on three occasions and the semifinals of the Wimbledon once.

He reached the quarter-finals of all the Grand Slams and won 11 individual titles, including the Stuttgart masters tournament in 2001.

He also won the silver medal in the Olympic Games in 2000.

Haas, with 569 career wins, was named Tournament Director at Indian Wells in June 2016 by the tournament's owner Larry Ellison, when the former was recovering from a ligament injury.