‘People Just See the Tip of the Iceberg’ – Iconic Serbian Star Ana Ivanovic Discloses Harsh Realities of a Tennis Player’s Life

Ana Ivanovic, the former tennis professional, has been a part of the sport for years. She has witnessed and experienced the change in fans’ attitudes depending on the game she produced on the court. Therefore, when speaks about the atrocities of tennis, one can put full trust in her words.

Recently, the Serbian star spoke about what goes into bringing good results on the board. Further, she also addressed how people often remain unaware of several aspects.

Ana Ivanovic spoke about the hard work players put in before stepping on the court

Ivanovic, while speaking in a podcast of the Olympic Channel, opened up about varied things, ranging from her personal life and kids to her career. When asked about the pressure players experience, she said, “During times in my career, sometimes it was very hard because I was very much focused on the external, on results, on what people think and so on. And then you realise that actually that’s not what matters, it’s what comes from inside.”

Thereafter, she spoke about how the crowd doesn’t pay attention to the efforts an athlete puts in before stepping on the court. “People actually didn’t really know what was going on behind the scenes because people just see the tip of the iceberg. Everything else is what we do off court. It’s what we do in a preseason, what we do in training weeks, what we do before matches, and no one sees that.”

Ivanovic turned pro in 2003 and after spending five years on the tour, she claimed the ranking of World No.1. She held the WTA no.1 rank for a total of 12 weeks.

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In the year 2008, the right-handed ace made it to the finals of the Australian Open and clinched the title at the French Open. Thereafter, with a semifinal run in grass-courts of Wimbledon and a quarterfinal run on the hard courts of the US Open under her name, she hung her racket. Ivanovic announced her retirement from the sport in 2016.

Ivanovic’s major rivals

The Serb had some great rivalries during her playing days. The most special ones were with Nadia Petrova and compatriot Jelena Janković. Starting with the Russian, Ivanovic locked horns with the former world no.3, 14 times out of which she claimed 9 victories. However, Petrova ended with a 1-0 lead on both grass and carpet.

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Speaking of Janković, she clashed with the 34-year-old 12 times and was dominated by the Serbian star. Ivanovic leads by 3-1 on clay, 6-2 on hard courts, and 1-0 on carpet (artificial grass) courts.

What is your favorite memory of Ana Ivanovic?