Dubai: Ana Ivanovic is not just another beautiful tennis player and mind you, the women’s game has always been replete with pretty young things and glamourous women who help drive up the brand and bring in the sponsors.
Having won the French Open at 21 and becoming world No. 1 at such a young age in 2008, Ivanovic is still in the prime of her career, managing to become a brand unto herself, one that sells, both on the court and off it.
The Serbian’s story is the stuff dreams are made of. Born in Belgrade in 1987, Ivanovic first discovered her passion for the game aged four while watching Monica Seles on TV. Despite training in limited and often dangerous conditions during the Nato air strikes of the Kosovo War, she displayed the kind of commitment and determination that still keeps her going even when results don’t go her way.
She turned pro in 2003 and hasn’t looked back ever since. Currently ranked 20th in the world, Ivanovic is considered one of the most popular players in the women’s game, as she readily interacts with fans and the media alike with her down-to-earth and animated persona. Little wonder then that she has a strong social media influence with over 4 million followers across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Her personal website regularly attracts a million visitors a month.
At the Australian Open this year, she displayed her more emotional side during her third-round match. She was a set up against Madison Keys, when looking up at her player’s box, she saw her coach Nigel Sears sprawled on the floor.
“The whole situation was very scary indeed,” she recalls in an interview with Gulf News ahead of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships that begins on February 15.
“At this level of game, any small thing can really throw you off and affect your performance. I felt like that match against Madison was mine. I started really well, strong and confident, I won the first set and was up starting the second set. Then the match got stopped and I see panic in my player’s box. I see Nigel on the floor. I panic. We go back in and all I can think of is Nigel’s health.
“For sure every player has this special relation and working bond with their coach. Nigel and I are a great team, so of course it was beyond difficult to go out there and not think of him while playing. I fought until the end, but in the end she was able to convert the points to her advantage. I am an emotional player and of course the situation affected my game. All in all, I am so pleased that Nigel recovered so fast and it wasn’t anything too serious. He’s a fighter!”
Ivanovic has the same fighting qualities that make her a constant threat to the top players. She has seen a resurgence in her career the past couple of seasons, breaking into the top-5 and reaching the semi-finals of the French Open last season.
“It’s all due to perseverance, hard work and great team around me,” she reveals.
“I have been on tour for so many years now but I still believe that I have it in me to win another Slam or reach the top. I work really hard and I always give it all. I am really grateful and proud of myself: I’ve had such a long run and such an interesting career.”
As interesting as her career has been, the 28-year-old thinks she needs to steady the ship just a bit more this season. “I need more consistency,” she admits.
“My last season was very up and down. I had some great results and not so good matches too. This year I would like to sustain a good level of play through the year and peak at the most important moments: Grand Slams and the Olympics of course. Easier said than done, right?”
It’s never easy, as Ivanovic knows all too well. She still has her favourite Grand Slam in Paris coming up and then the Rio Olympics following Wimbledon and she believes she can make up for her disappointment in Beijing in 2008.
“I am so excited about Rio this year and representing my country. One of the most difficult things that I had to accept previously in my career was the fact I had to pull out of the Olympics in 2008. At the time, I was No. 1 in the world and on the top of my form. I was extremely disappointed I couldn’t complete because of my injury. This year, I am going to do my absolute best to bring a medal back to Serbia,” she says.
A proud Serbian, Ivanovic also takes immense pride in her role as the Global Ambassador for Dubai Duty Free. “For as long as I can remember, Dubai Duty Free has been one of the biggest supporters of women’s tennis. I am thrilled to continue my partnership with such a wonderful brand. As part of my role as an ambassador for DDF I’ve taken part in many incredible activities, attended some wonderful off court events and learnt a lot more about the culture of the region. It would be a dream come true to win the tournament in Dubai and lift that trophy on such a familiar ground. I am looking forward to coming back to Dubai this year again,” she says.
She is understandably very much at ease as a social celebrity as much as a sports star, having also graced the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair and Time magazine.
But it is not all fun and play for this modern sports icon. Off the court, Ivanovic has been recognised for her charity and humanitarianism: she is a Unicef National Ambassador for Serbia and recently became an ambassador of the Quercus Biasi Foundation, which helps improve the lives of children living in extreme poverty.
“I am excited about developing some projects of mine outside of the court, engaging more in my philanthropic work if the time allows and staying connected with my fans,” she says.
Whether one of those projects involves tying the knot with partner and German football star Bastian Schweinsteiger, as the rumour-mills have suggested, only time will tell.
Factbox
Ana’s other partners
Adidas (to be lifetime ambassador once she retires), Yonex, Rolex, Shiseido, Dubai Duty Free, Juice Plus, Trainers 4Me
Total career earnings: $15,083,252
