Zuluaga retires

"My heart tells me it is time to give priority to a personal life," said Zuluaga, who married journalist Julian Garcia nine months ago.

"Today I want to say goodbye to professional tennis and greet this life of a normal person that until now I haven't had an opportunity to live."

Ranked number 58, Zuluaga won five singles titles, the last more than 18 months ago in Bogota, and more than $1.3 million in career earnings.

She reached the semi-finals of the 2004 Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, and had her highest ranking, No. 16, this past January.

During her career, which started in 1993, she had victories over Elena Dementieva, Jennifer Capriati and Mary Pierce.

"After 15 years of travelling from tournament to tournament, of being absent from home for almost six months a year, I want to enjoy the people who are close to me, and the possibility of being a full-time daughter, a full-time sister and now a full-time wife," Zuluaga said.