Ana Ivanovic Looking To Wimbledon And Beyond

After Ana Ivanovic beat Anna Tatashvili 6-1, 6-0 in the opening round of the Aegon Classic she has spoken to media, talking about her love of clay, her desire to win Wimbledon and her search for a new coach. Ivanovic’s forehand and serve were working well  in the match, a promising sign at this early stage in the tournament.

Since winning the 2008 French Open Ivanovic has struggled to consistently find the shots that helped propel her towards the end stage of the tournament, let alone the form that saw her take the number one ranking.

For the first time in a long time though, Ivanovic seems to be enjoying playing again despite some tough losses. “I had forgotten how lovely the grass is. It’s great to be back on it.”

As with most professional players Ana says of Wimbledon, “I really would like one day to win that trophy.” It seems she knows this year is not her year as she continues to struggle to find a coach to help her find her way as she battles not only the realities of her game but the psychological requirements of being a top player again.

“It’s been a bit of a struggle and a little up and down and that’s been happening for the last couple of years in my career. I want something more stable. I want something more solid. I know it’s not easy to find a good coach, but it’s something I should consider again.

I have names of people I would like to talk to, but that’s hard to do during competition. Still, I’m thinking about it and talking to people about how to approach it.

First I have to find a good one. Then, someone who will commit. And someone willing to travel. And someone with whom to get along, because you do spend a lot of time together. 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.

I don’t want these ups and downs any more. I need to have more structure and more stability, and someone strong enough to go through with it. Not something which is going to be short-lived again.”