Here is an interview Jelena Jankovic did for ITF Tennis site, called "Olympic spotlight on...Jelena Jankovic".

Q: What are you looking forward to with Beijing?

JJ: I'm just looking forward to having another great experience and having a good time. And I will try to give my best. I would love to win a medal out there. Just being there with all the people from my country, all those successful athletes in many different sports.

Q: What are your memories of the Athens Olympics?

JJ: Being there and seeing all these top athletes is an amazing feeling. Representing your country is something special as well. It's a great event and an amazing atmosphere to be out in.
Q: When you were part of the team walking out in Athens, did you get goosebumps?

JJ: Yeah, I did get goosebumps. You are not just playing for yourself; you're representing your country. Holding the flag, just walking in a huge ceremony with all these countries coming out, all these athletes. Of course you get goosebumps, of course you get really excited. You're just happy to be there.


Q: Tennis is such an individual sport, but it's different when it's Fed Cup or the Olympics.

JJ: Yeah, we don't have a lot of opportunities to play as a team. When you play Fed Cup, you're not just playing for yourself; it's the whole team. When you win, it's not that Jelena Jankovic won, it's that Serbia has won and gone through.

So it's really a great thing and I really love playing for my country and always try to give my best. I really give my heart out there. It’s the same in the Olympics: we go there to represent our country and we want to win medals, we want to be successful.

Q: What sport did you enjoy watching last time and would go and see again in Beijing?

JJ: I'm a huge fan of basketball actually. I love playing basketball, just for fun, for recreation, and I love watching it. So that will be the sport for sure I won't miss.

Q: And if you had the chance to play another sport at the Olympics, what would you pick, besides tennis?

JJ: I would actually pick volleyball.

Q: Beach volleyball or indoor volleyball?

JJ: No, I don't want to match up against the Brazilians (laughter). No, just the regular volleyball. I like to play volleyball; I don't say that I'm good at it, but I have fun playing it.

Q: If you had the opportunity to meet one Olympian, who would that be?

JJ: There are so many people. I mean, you are in the Olympic Village, and you are like, “Oh my God, look at that person, look at that one, look... Can I have your autograph?.” It's embarrassing.

You can exchange the little pins. That's what happened in Greece four years ago where we were all exchanging the pins from different countries. By the time you end the tournament, you go home and you have all these little pins from many different places... It's a great memory to have.


You can also listen this interview here.

(via ITF Tennis, photo/Elsa/Getty Images)

Jelena Jankovic interview about Olympics