If the definition of a happy retirement is knowing that you have given your absolute all and maximised your ability, then Elena Baltacha can relax with her feet up.

And if anyone deserves a rest, it's Baltacha.

At the age of 30, having had a career-threatening liver condition at the age of 19 and undergone back and ankle surgery, the Scot called time after 16 years as a professional, saying her body has taken enough punishment.

Given everything she has been through, calling it quits was probably something of a relief but, as she discussed her decision yesterday, the overwhelming feeling was of contentment.

"I know it's the right time," she told Herald Sport, fighting back a barking cough she's been coping with for a couple of weeks.

"I definitely maximised my potential, I did that," she said. "In terms of me as an athlete, I think I got everything out that I could. I think when I sit down eventually in a quiet room and go over everything I will not have any demons."

Few people in sport can truly say that; they mull over the what-ifs, the what could have been, the what might have been. Others remain restless over what they will miss out on, but Baltacha's regrets are few and far between.

"I was thinking the other day, how would it be?" she said. "But I guess I've been so busy that I haven't thought about it too much. But I haven't had the blues or anything."

Given her heritage, it was no surprise that Baltacha should make it as a professional tennis player.

Born in Kiev, her mother, Olga, was a Russian pentathlete and her father, Sergei, played football for Russia and featured in the European Championship final in 1988. But it is her persistence, throughout her 16 years on Tour, that singles her out, especially at a time when she and Anne Keothavong were the only two female players of note in the country.

"We were talking about it the other day," Baltacha said of Keothavong, who announced her own retirement in July. "We were so lucky we had each other. I'm not going to lie, we didn't get on that well but we wanted to outdo each other and we were so competitive. And now we speak together a lot and are really good friends.

"British tennis is in a much stronger position now, in terms of players. Laura [Robson]'s still very young, Heather [Watson]'s young - hopefully she'll come back strong [after glandular fever] - and Jo [Konta]'s made a massive move."

Baltacha would be the first to admit that she was not the most gifted of players in terms of shot-making, but her fighting spirit was an example to everyone and she was always looking for ways to improve.

For the record, in grand slam terms, she made it to the third round on three occasions, twice in Australia and once at Wimbledon, where she carried the burden of British No.1 with considerable pride and patience in the face of media scrutiny.

Her on-court achievements may not have been in Andy Murray's league but she played 39 Fed Cup ties, won 11 ITF singles titles and took home $1.190m in prize money and yesterday, Baltacha was able to look back on several highlights.

"The Olympics, definitely," she said. "To be able to say I am an Olympian. It was just an unbelievable experience. Then breaking into the top 50 [she reached a career-high ranking of 49] was a huge goal of mine.

"The three top-10 wins I had were big and then representing my country, that was huge for me. It's a real honour and privilege when you get called on for your country. And to play for someone like Judy Murray was a real honour."

The response to Baltacha's retirement was predictably swift and positive, with Judy Murray and her eldest son Jamie Murray leading the way.

Judy, captain of the Fed Cup team, tweeted that Baltacha was a "superstar on and off the court" and a "great role model" while Jamie tweeted: "Shame to see Elena Baltacha retire but a huge congrats on a very good tennis career".

Typically, the only person who didn't quite realise how big an impact she has had was Baltacha herself. "It's been so overwhelming," she said. "My phone has not stopped ringing - it's been on charger all day. You don't think about all this when you're playing, on Tour, but it's amazing having all the calls and texts of congratulations."

Baltacha said a couple of people had tried to talk her out of retiring, saying she still had more to give, and joked that her coach and partner, Nino Severino, might struggle to adjust to having her around more in the future.

But British tennis's loss, professionally, could be British tennis's gain in the future as she focuses on her academy, the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis (EBAT), which coaches local children, aged 6-10, from under-privileged backgrounds. "My own academy is massive, it's massive for me," she said. "I want to get the numbers up and give the opportunities for the kids. We've got 200 kids now. We need more kids playing the game [in Britain]. That's what we're doing at the academy. I'm sure the kids' parents will also be happy that I am around more."

In her dealings with the media, Baltacha was always honest and never less than generous, frequently chatting away for hours on end to all and sundry.

Don't be surprised if she follows in Keothavong's footsteps by doing some commentary work, especially at Wimbledon.

"I want to give back my experience and give opportunities to others," she said. "If anyone [other players] wants to call me up [for advice], I am happy to speak to them, and I am keeping my eyes open for something on the side."

Whatever that may be, one thing is certain: Baltacha will give it her all.