“It’s very important to take care of yourself. Everyone’s lives are so busy. Take at least an hour a day to recharge and do whatever makes you better. For grown-ups, whether it’s a spa, sitting in a park with a book, or coffee, take time for yourself.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“When you have tough times, and when you learn you can’t be perfect in every situation, it’s hard to accept, you know, because I still do expect that. But you just have to, because, you know, it’s not about the situation. It’s how you deal with it. You always have a choice.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I had struggles throughout my career. I had some tough times.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Quitting is never an option.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“In Belgrade, everything is possible.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“When you mature, you also get more secure about yourself. You see things differently.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I work out a lot, but it changes day to day. I always start out with some cardio – either a jog, a bike ride, or footwork drills designed specifically for tennis movement. Then I do weights, but I switch the days: one day it’s upper body, the next day it’s lower body. Then I do stomach and back pretty much every day.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“There’s really not much friendship between the girls on tour. There’s so much rivalry and jealousy, so everyone just hangs out in their own camp. In the locker room and players’ lounge, you can feel the jealousy.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“When people talk about my charm or looks, it is very flattering. Of course, every woman likes compliments, but I don’t take them too seriously.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“For my fifth birthday, I got a small tennis racket. That’s how I started.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Sometimes it just becomes so technical that you forget what you’re doing. If you start thinking about how you come down the stairs and think about how each muscle is working, you can’t go down the stairs. Anyway, I’m a person who overthinks and overanalyzes everything, so if you give me one thought, it creates a lot more.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I think it’s better not to mix professional life and personal life – although it is hard.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I’m very proud to be a professional tennis player. I’m really happy to be doing something that I love. With this comes responsibility, and I am honored when I am told that I have inspired someone to play tennis.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always thought it very important to be happy inside. There’s a lot of bad things happening in the world, but it’s important to try to stay happy and appreciate what you’ve got, and don’t look externally for the happiness.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“You want a coach who is going to push you and be strong and be in your corner when it’s tough, but sometimes you have coaches who think they are more important than the players. That’s where the conflicts come.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I get massages almost daily. Sometimes I fall asleep during the massage, but it’s very important to have deep-tissue massages because that type recovers muscles best.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Living through war has helped make me pretty strong.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I like to have my privacy. I don’t like people knowing what I do in my free time. I am also a very shy person, but I understand that people want to know more.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I think, in every person’s life, you have ups and downs. You learn so much about yourself, sometimes even more, in the down times. Unfortunately, I had to go through it in public, which was not easy.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I think, when I’m on the court, I become with a killer instinct – a real Scorpio.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“When we were kids, I remember we’d use lemon in our hair and go into the sun, hoping it would make us blond. Obviously, I have very dark hair and olive skin, and when I was a kid, I wanted to be blond, of course. It never worked.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“It’s important to understand that you have to dedicate time to your sponsors, to have relationships with the people and the media, but it is also hard when you are first coming up and your primary focus is on tennis.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Fame and success and titles stay with you, but they wear out eventually. In the end, all that you are left with is your character.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I really just try to enjoy the game and hope that I can inspire young kids. I started playing tennis because of Monica Seles, and I try to promote the sport in the best possible way. Sometimes it’s hard because you get upset on court, but I think in life one learns through experiences in order to evolve as a person.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I won two ITF tournaments in Japan in two weeks. I had to qualify for both of them, which meant that I won 16 matches in 15 days.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I like men who have goals, something that they are passionate about and work hard to achieve. A good sense of humor is important too. And I like tall guys!”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Even if I play backgammon with my coach, I hate to lose. I won’t talk to him for, like, an hour. So imagine how it feels when you lose at tennis. That makes me determined not to lose because I hate it so much. Even at a set down and match point, I always believe I can come back.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I like to be alone and listen to music. Every match I play, I have a tune in my head over and over. It might only be a few words or a small piece of the tune, but it can drive you mad.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I’m quite an emotional person. I cry a lot. I do not like conflict, so if I have an argument with my parents, I’ll often cry. I become too emotional.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“As a people, Serbians are very tall, and we have olive skin and dark hair, which can look very nice. You have to be very beautiful to stand out.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“If I make a change to a young kid to play any sport, not only tennis, instead of spending time in front of the TV or computer, that is good. I want to give them a good example: ‘Hey, go out and play and see the world.’”
― Ana Ivanovic
“You’re never out of the game until you’ve lost the final point.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I’ve had to fight to improve my life. Nothing has come easily.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Recovery is really important.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“When I’m very motivated, and when I have to compete, I change a little bit; I become very competitive.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“When someone recognises you or wants an interview, you think, ‘You know, maybe I’ve done something good. Maybe I have a good result.’ So if you see it in that way, it becomes a lot easier, and you realise that, actually, you’re there and you’ve succeeded because of the media, because if it wasn’t for them, no one in the world would know us.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I believe I have quality, and that’s why I won a grand slam, so I know I can do it again.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Once you are on court, it doesn’t matter the way you look. It doesn’t help you win points.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“For me, it is important to do well in what I’m doing, to achieve the goals I have for myself.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“If you are happy in your private life, and – that will affect your tennis, and that will help you, actually.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Everyone wants to be happy – people find happiness in different ways. While you want to pursue your career 100 percent, I think it is very hard to give 100 percent in something else. It’s important to find this balance, and priorities change throughout life.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“You learn you have to accept the way things are, and the sooner you accept them, the sooner you become at peace with them, and then the things start to get better.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I don’t really eat fried food. It’s definitely a no go for me.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I love to run. It’s how I clear my head.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I like to come to a tournament with a specific playlist that I can listen to before going on the court. I like five or 10 minutes just for myself.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“For my hair, I like to use different leave-in moisturizing sprays.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I always keep my makeup really simple.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“If I weren’t a tennis player, I’d probably be a psychologist.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I need nine hours of sleep because of all the activity I do. It doesn’t always happen, but I really try.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I’m very easy-going off court, but I really want to win once I’m walking on to the court.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I try not to think about the person, just their tactics, their weaknesses and strengths. I play against the ball.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I’m an in-control person.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I love, love, love my grandparents.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Everything in moderation. I keep a healthy body, a healthy look. It’s important not to be obsessive about anything – fitness, training, eating – because then you end up focusing on only that. And you can’t obsess about anything when you’re on the road.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“In cities like Miami, my hair can get so frizzy, it looks crazy. I use TRESemm Extra Hold hairspray. I use a lot of it.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I lift weights. I’ll do a lot of running, a lot of cardio and strengthening. I use my body weight, a TRX sometimes. A lot of it is endurance.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I have a lot of hair, and it’s quite heavy: Sometimes I’ll braid it for a match so it’s all together.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I was watching tennis on TV, and between games, they were showing a commercial for a tennis school. I wrote down the number, gave it to my mom, and said, ‘This is what I want to do.’ She thought it was a joke, but I was very stubborn, and I kept bringing it up.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Coaches were all saying that I was really talented and I had potential, but coming from Serbia, it wasn’t easy. The ’90s were the hardest years for our country – we went through two wars.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“The media and press can be relentless, especially with women. Personally, while I take pride in my appearance and enjoy the compliments, when I’m on court, it is all about my game.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I’m very determined, and I know I can achieve, so I don’t let little setbacks put me down.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“There are many times I don’t feel like going to work out, but I know if I do, I’ll feel better.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“It’s not good to stretch when you’re cold. Get your heart rate up, and once you finish, take time to stretch and let your body calm down.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Even when I get dressed up to go out, I never use too much makeup.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I personally love Essie because they’re such a good brush, and it’s so easy to apply. I always go red. If I’m in doubt, I go red.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I have always liked my hair when it’s braided, because if I don’t, it kind of runs in my eyes when I hit.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I use Moroccanoil shampoo and conditioner.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I do miss competition, but I get to travel a little bit on my own terms, which is a little bit different. And I get the chance to walk around, explore, and not have to save my energy for the match days.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“After a tough match, I’ll do an ice bath, and that’s really good for recovery because it helps circulation. Sometimes you feel really swollen.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Tennis has given me so many opportunities, and I feel very lucky to have achieved whatever I have, especially coming from a country that does not have a great history in the game.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Tennis has opened a number of possibilities for me, and in future, it would be great to give something back.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Obviously, if some young girl wants my advice and wants me to be her mentor, I would be very happy to offer that. But I don’t really see myself as a coach.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“You never know where the future will take you.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I made some choices that weren’t right in the past. It cost me in terms of my confidence and everything.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Our job is quite strange in that we hire a coach, and therefore, we’re the boss. But coaches tell us what to do, and I think some coaches might struggle with the idea of a girl being the boss and telling them, ‘I don’t want to see you now. I want to have some time to myself.’”
― Ana Ivanovic
“There are times when the only people you spend time with are the people in your team. That’s hard, because I think, ‘I’m a girl. I want to hang out with other girls. I just want to be a normal young woman.’”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Most of the coaches just tell you, ‘No, no, you’re doing well. This is fine.’ But I actually want someone who will tell me what I didn’t do right so that I can improve.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“It was different when I was young, aged 20, playing the French Open. I didn’t have so much experience. I just played tennis because I loved the game.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“With experience, you understand expectations, you understand consequences, but sometimes it gets a little bit hard, especially for me, that I’m a perfectionist – I want to analyse everything. And sometimes it’s most important to just let go and trust your instincts. This is what I need to do more of.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I am constantly trying to improve my playing and hope to get more and more mental strength. I think these are two of the success keys.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Before a match, I need to be alone. I need to reach concentration and focus on the game ahead of me.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I admire Roger Federer, not only for his tennis but also for his personality.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I do not follow superstitions on court.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“You’d be surprised at how many times I’d hit the ball, and the hair would go straight into my eyes. That’s why, even when I play indoors, I wear a visor, because it stops that, and I’ll apply a lot of gel and hairspray to keep it tight.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Maybe 5 or 10 minutes before going on the court, I’ll do some fast feet movements or sprint, but the only problem with that is sometimes after you finish warming up, you wait to get on the court, and you end up cooling down a little. It’s not always ideal, but that’s why I wait until the very last moment to do all of this.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“All we see is gym, tennis court, and bed.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“It’s always been my dream to compete.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I think, for me, it’s very important to have a good team and to feel comfortable in the environment.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Once I became number one, I started working even harder. I changed my technique, but injuries started creeping in – it was a big mistake, as I was doing something right to get to that spot in the first place.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“My parents were very protective of me and my brother, so they never talked to us about the situation in our country.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“When I was starting out, it was almost impossible for me to get visas to travel to tournaments.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I feel flattered that people like the way I look, but it doesn’t help you win points.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“One of the downsides of the job is that I am travelling so much, and I don’t have so much time to go out and socialise as people who have a more traditional job might do, so it’s hard.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Ever since I was a young girl, even in school, I was always a perfectionist, and I always wanted to do my homework as soon as I got home. Everything had to be done properly.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“My goal is to be No. 1 and to win Grand Slams.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“The time during bombings was definitely difficult for everyone. My parents, they really protected me from it, and we came through together.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Pressure comes from myself, because I expect a lot, but I am trying not to put so much pressure on tournaments and to be less emotional during matches.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“For a coach to be able to help you, they need to get to know you well. They need to see what’s happening – that you are not in the mood to talk, or something like this. It is very hard to find the right person.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I know that us girls aren’t the easiest to coach.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“There aren’t many woman coaches in general, and I actually think it’s good to have a male coach. Guys and girls have different mentalities. Girls are so stressed about everything. Guys take everything much more lightly. That’s great, and it’s something we have to learn from. I think one woman on a team is enough!”
― Ana Ivanovic
“A lot of coaches are very intense, which is good once you are working, but you don’t want that all the time.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“My parents themselves both went to university, and they very much expected me to be an intellectual and go through further education, and it’s to kind of their surprise that I became an athlete.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“In tennis, a lot of parents are accused of driving their kids into tennis. I would say I’m the opposite: I drove my parents into it. They didn’t take it that seriously until I was about 11 or 12 years old, when they realised I had an opportunity to go pro.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I used to always want to play the perfect match, and this meant not losing a point. The realisation came around the time I was 19 years old, in the French Open final in 2007. This was a key period in my career. I was told I was going for too many winners, which was affecting my game.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I have always been very dedicated to tennis, and it’s true that I made some compromises in my life. For example, I never went out to parties when I was younger, and I spent less time with friends.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“Being from Serbia makes us tough and eager to prove that we can come from this country that has been through so much and still be successful.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I really love fish, so I’ll mix between that and meat, but I have to have protein. I can’t survive without it.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“The most important thing is always to feel comfortable – I would never sacrifice function for style.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“When I was younger, I did have some dresses that weren’t the best fits, and it can definitely affect you during a match – if you’re having to constantly pull the dress down, for example!”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I’ve never been a very flashy person.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“When competing a lot and traveling, I have problems with my lower back because I’m always on the plane or sitting. That’s something that does bother me from time to time, but I try to stay on top of it.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“We are constantly under lots of pressure, so I take lots of time to recover and do all the things I need for my body to be in the perfect state to compete the next day.”
― Ana Ivanovic
“I have a lot of belief in myself.”
― Ana Ivanovic
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