By Sean Rudolph

(November 8, 2010) Taylor Dent spent much of his career racing forward and today one of tennis' last serve-and-volleyers crossed the career finish line. The 29-year-old Dent announced his retirement from the pro circuit, concluding a career in which he won four titles, posted a 151-140 record and collected more than $2.5 million in prize money.

An  explosive, attacking player, Dent is the son of former Australian top 20 pro Phil Dent, who reached the 1974 Australian Open final, falling to Jimmy Connors, and Betty Ann Stuart, who reached the 1977 US Open doubles final with Dr. Renee Richards.

At his peak, Dent owned one of the fastest serves in men's tennis and was widely regarded as one of the best volleyers in the game. But the 6-foot-2 Dent, who has a tattoo of the Australian and American flags on his shoulder as a tribute to his shared heritage, was plagued by various back injuries and underwent three back surgeries in 2006 and 2007.

Dent broke through to beat James Blake and capture his first career title on the grass courts of Newport in 2002 and made history as half of the only father-son duo to win ATP titles in Open Era history. He reached a career-high rank of No. 21 in 2005 and advanced to the 2003 US Open fourth round (falling to Andre Agassi) and the fourth round of the 2005 Wimbledon.

At his best, Dent could pose problems for nearly any player on a fast indoor hard court. In 2003, Dent collected titles in Bangkok, Moscow and Memphis.

Dent's wife, former WTA Tour pro Jennifer Hopkins, gave birth to the couple's first child in January. The couple welcomed Declan James Phillip Dent into the world. The baby weighed in at eight pounds, 12 ounces.

The couple settled on Declan as their newborn's name because they liked the sound of the name. The baby's two middle names were selected in honor of their fathers. Hopkins' father, James, was a doctor.

Dent lost to 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in the Australian Open second round and immediately flew back to the States so he would be by his wife's side for the birth of their son.

A popular player among fans and fellow players, Dent has served as a tennis television analyst in the past and could pursue a career as a commentator or a coach. His father, who has worked with players ranging from Michael Chang to Maria Sharapova, is regarded as one of the best serving specialist coaches in the world.

Prior to announcing his retirement, Dent sat down with Tennis Now's Lauren Lynch for this video interview.