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Ana recently gave an interview to the organizers of the Eurobasket 2009. Ana talked about her love for basketball, about her support of Partizan Belgrade. Here is the interview:
"There are few countries in Europe as basketball crazy as Serbia.
In 2009, storied club side Partizan Belgrade shattered attendance records when 22,527 fans showed up at Belgrade Arena to watch their team take on Panathanaikos in the Euroleague Top 16.
It was the type of crowd not seen since EuroBasket 2005, when nearly 20,000 fans streamed into the same arena for the final despite the fact that the host team had long ago been eliminated.
In recent years though a new sport has been taking the country by storm, thanks in large part to the efforts of one very big basketball fan.
In 2008 a young Serbian named Ana Ivanovic vaulted the country on to tennis' world stage with a straight sets win over Russian Dinara Safina to capture her first-ever Grand Slam title at the French Open.
The win made her number one in the world and the darling of her home country, where she stood on a balcony overlooking Belgrade's parliament square and hit tennis balls into a crowd of 10,000 adoring fans.
She had become tennis royalty, but that was only one of the sports that competed for her attention as an aspiring athlete.
"My family has always loved sport, especially basketball," says the 21-year-old.
"My father used to play semi-professionally in Belgrade, so I've known the sport ever since I was a young kid."
As with most fans of basketball in Belgrade, Ana the burgeoning fan had a choice to make; the black and white of Partizan or the red and white of their rivals Red Star.
"My family has always supported Partizan." She says.
"I have been to quite a few games at Pionir Hall. The atmosphere is just amazing. It's the best I have ever experienced in any sport. The noise that Partizan fans make is deafening."
Though Ana's love for basketball was partly inherited it also mirrors many of the things that appeal to her about her own sport.
"I'm a very competitive person so what I love the most is the competition.
"I especially enjoy watching basketball when it's unpredictable regarding which team is going to win. Sometimes the last few seconds can be extremely exciting."
It's something Ana doesn't get to experience all that often. The life of a professional tennis player means traveling across the globe, but she does her best to keep up to date on the trials of both her favorite club and the national team.
"My Dad keeps me informed about what's going on, and I watch them on TV if I have a chance, but it isn't often these days, unfortunately."
Being Serbia's most famous sportswomen means Ana has gotten the chance to meet some of her basketball heroes over the years. When asked which one she would pick as a doubles partner she doesn't think long before going with a point guard.
"I had the opportunity to meet Sasa Djordjevic a few times, because we are both UNICEF ambassadors. He is one of the greatest players we ever had. I always admired his style, and the level of confidence he had at the most important moments in the game. He would definitely be a great doubles partner."
Unfortunately for Serbia the days of Djordjevic are long gone, but despite their struggles at EuroBasket 2007, Ana is upbeat about her national team's chances in Poland.
"At the moment we have a very young team, a new generation that is extremely motivated to do well, "she says.
"I believe it's a good combination for success."
Success is something Ana Ivanovic knows plenty about."
(via anaivanovic.com)
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