How Ana Ivanovic rediscovered her lost mojo to become a world-beater again

Ana Ivanovic

Ever since she won her first Grand Slam back in 2008, Ana Ivanovic has seen every single season being compared to her career-defining one, with people constantly questioning why she she hasn’t been able to reach those lofty heights again. Regardless of her performances being good or bad, and despite the lapse of time – almost eight years now – 2008 still continues to be the focal point of the Serb’s career.

In terms of individual performances, 2008 is indeed the stand-out year far as Ivanovic is concerned. Her forehand looked like the best shot on the women’s tour – even if you included Serena Williams’ serve – and there seemed to be no limit to how high she could soar. Her good looks brought in added advantages too, of course – the endorsement deals came pouring in, and soon she was looked at as the face of the WTA.

Understandably, even Ivanovic herself seemed to be overwhelmed at winning her maiden Major and dealing with all the fame that came along suddenly. And for a while, she looked content to bask in the glory of her French Open performance for as long it could be sustained. Her inconsistent results thereafter did come under scrutiny, but not for so long so as to merit a detailed introspection about them.

However, given the way her career threatened to fall off the tennis radar entirely in the ensuing couple of years, she must be given credit for purposefully arresting the downslide, and redirecting her game towards better results.

A couple of years ago Ivanovic looked very much like a deer in the headlights, unsure of what to do on the court or where to look for inspiration from. But now she seems to have restored her confidence, and she’s likely to be a major asset for the UAE Royals this IPTL season. (For tickets to UAE Royals matches, click here).

It’s been slow, but definite

It wasn’t easy for her to do so, but the key to Ivanovic’s resurgence was her ability to finally keep a distance from her gloried past, thus gaining a better perspective of what she needed to do on the court. While tennisdom at large still continues to find this method of hers a bit hard to absorb, for the former Roland Garros champion it’s come to be almost second nature by now.

And unmistakably, getting the necessary distance has helped her career come back on the right track.

In 2014, Ivanovic won four titles which were spread across the season. She raced off the blocks with a win in Auckland against Venus Williams at the start of the year, following it up with a win in Monterrey against countrywoman Jovana Jaksic in March. During the grasscourt season, she won in Birmingham against Barbora Strycova, and she eventually won her last title of the year in Tokyo against Caroline Wozniacki.

In addition to these wins, Ivanovic also reached the finals in Stuttgart (lost to Maria Sharapova) and Cincinnati (lost to Serena Williams). These consistent results not only saw her reach the WTA Finals for the first time in seven years, but also helped her finish inside the top five in the WTA rankings.

Ivanovic with the French Open title in 2008

Unfortunately for her though, 2015 yet again marked a negative turnaround. She not only failed to defend her titles but also lost her spot in the rankings, before eventually finishing the year ranked 16th in the world. However, couched within this disappointing season were also some noteworthy highs that have kept the momentum going in the Serb’s favour.

The never-ending fight

Following her Australian Open first round upset – caused by an unexpected niggle – Ivanovic bounced back strongly at the French Open to reach the semifinal. It was her first semifinal appearance at the tournament since her triumph in 2008, and marked the culmination of the years of hard labour she had put in to get back where she belonged.

While her eventual loss to Lucie Safarova in the French capital came about in straight sets, the fight put up by Ivanovic was admirable. This last facet – fight – is the pivot that Ivanovic has held on to in her comeback efforts.

In 2015, one of the constraining factors for the 28-year old was her inability to convert her deep runs into title victories. But while these disappointments will haunt her – as they will affect her legion of fans – there was never any shortage of courage or determination on her part.

She may struggle with her serve toss, battle against her backhand technical deficiencies, and get freaked out by her numerous stoned volleys, but she never gives up, and instead keeps plugging away. And as her 2014 season showed, that attitude will bring good results sooner or later.

Ivanovic has never been short of self-motivation even when her results floundered severely, and she’s always found a way to push through the difficult times. Of all her qualities, this perhaps is the trait that will ensure Ivanovic stays steady on the course of her comeback, maybe even rising to greater heights than before.