Ana Ivanovic was interviewed by tennis reporter Nebojsa Mandrapa for popular Serbian newspaper "Vecernje Novosti".

In the interview Ana talks about her chances at Roland Garros, her UNICEF program, about injuries and lot more. But the most interesting question is, I think, this one:

Novosti: Why didn't you join your team and support them during the Fed Cup tie against Slovakia?
Ana: The main reason why I didn't play was because I wanted to train with my team and to finally find a way to raise my self-esteem. I couldn't do that in Serbia by watching tennis. If I couldn't help my team playing good tennis, then me, sitting on the bench surely would not help. I think it was a professional decision. Bearing in mind the progress that I made, I think it was a good plan. I feel I have much more confidence and an optimistic look at upcoming tournaments. On the other hand, I was happy that Bojana has made an important victory and it's great she got a chance to play.

The following is an extract from the Q & A interview:

Novosti: You will have a very tough draw in Paris, due to your current ranking. How will it affect your ambitions in this tournament?
Ana: It’s out of my control, so I will try not to think about it too much. I was so successful in Paris two years ago because I took it match by match and never looked ahead in the draw. That’s the secret to winning any tournament: focusing 100% on your next match and preparing fully for it. Then when you win, you go back to the hotel and rest, then spend the next day preparing for the next match. Then the cycle starts again and you get into a routine. If you think too much about the draw, or going far in the tournament at the start of the week, you are wasting energy and putting unnecessary pressure on yourself.


Novosti: You sometimes play when injured, or sick, without telling anyone how you actually feel. Often those injuries were very serious. Why do you keep such things to yourself, thus creating an image that you didn't fight as people expected?
Ana: There are two reasons really. Firstly, I don’t want to admit any weaknesses to my opponents, because it can give you extra motivation if you know your opponent is injured. Secondly, to be honest it’s not often that you are 100% healthy, with no problems at all, and I think it’s best to just keep quiet and give the other girl the credit she deserves for beating you. It’s a shame that some people might get the wrong idea, and that kind of relates to what I was saying about people forming opinions without really knowing all the details. But then that’s sport. We all love to watch and form opinions. But for me it is very difficult to understand how anyone can think that sometimes we are not fighting and giving our best to win our matches. People who understand sport know how much losing hurts.

Novosti: People around the world love you no matter if you were No.1, No.42, or No.58 in the world. Your popularity isn't affected at all. Why do you think it is so?
Ana: Thanks a lot. That’s really nice to hear. I’m a little embarrassed talking about that. I prefer not to comment because I don’t think anyone can really judge themselves in this way. But I hope it’s because I am the same person no matter my results. That’s my wish.

Novosti: Lots of children made some nice drawings of you in the UNICEF programme. Which did you like most, and why?
Ana: I didn’t receive the new ones yet because the conference only just finished, but I’m looking forward to seeing them next week. I love kids, and I am always so happy when they give me these kind of drawings. They’re so cute. One in particular that I remember is a picture of me actually playing doubles with the little girl who drew it – we were on the same team.


(source: Ana Ivanovic website)

Ana Ivanovic's interview for Serbian "Vecernje Novosti" magazine