Born in Kyiv before growing up in Scotland due to her father's football career, Baltacha was at many times the lone beacon of women's tennis in Britain over the last decade despite battling the deliberating affects of sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver condition which compromises the immune system, since she was 19.

Despite this she reached the third round of the Australian Open in 2005 and 2010, the same year she gained a career-high world ranking of 49.

Baltacha won 11 singles titles, made the third round of Wimbledon in 2002, was part of Great Britain's Federation Cup team for 11 years, and in latter years played a key role in nurturing the next generation of British players Laura Robson and Heather Watson.

She also reached the second round of the singles at London 2012 after achieving a longstanding ambition to compete at an Olympics after her father Sergei won an football bronze for the Soviet Union at Moscow 1980.

Baltacha revealed she had the illness in March of this year after only learning about it in January, two months after retiring from professional tennis and only a few weeks after getting married. 

"We are heartbroken beyond words at the loss of our beautiful, talented and determined Bally," said husband Nino Severino, who was also her coach.

"She was an amazing person and she touched so many people with her inspirational spirit, her warmth and her kindness."