ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic isn't likely to defend the title next month.

Croatian newspapers reported earlier Tuesday that the 30-year-old left-hander has decided to undergo an operation on the serving shoulder that has been bothering him for years.

Asked in a brief telephone interview with The Associated Press whether it means he might miss Wimbledon, Ivanisevic said: "Most likely."

But he insisted that "nothing is firmly decided yet."

"My decision will depend on many things: the condition of my shoulder, what it will mean to my status, etc.," he said. "It's one of the heaviest decisions in my life."

The final decision could be expected in a few days, he added.

Ivanisevic was reportedly hastened towards surgery when pains in his shoulder forced him to cut short Monday's training in Split, his hometown in southern Croatia.

He has played only once in the last six weeks, a doubles match for Croatia in a Davis Cup quarterfinal tie a month ago. Ranked No. 16 in the world, he has canceled his entry in the ATP World Team Championship in Dusseldorf, Germany from May 20.

Doctors recently determined that much of the cartilage and muscle tissue in Ivanisevic's left shoulder was badly affected by more than a decade of professional tennis.

Ivanisevic beat Pat Rafter in last year's Wimbledon final to become the first wild card to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Source: yahoo.com