Former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic shared her excitement for the Australian Open 2023 that kickstarted on Monday (January 16).
Top players of the sport will compete for the coveted title at the first Grand Slam of the year currently underway at Melbourne Park.
Ivanovic took to social media to share a video post where the Serbian said that she misses her time competing at the tournament and wished good luck to all the players.
"I really miss coming out there and competing but I wish good luck to all the players playing this year. I think it will be a super exciting tournament," she said in the video post.
Ivanovic also shared in the post that the tournament was her favorite and reminisced about her time playing in the finals in 2008.
The Serbian was also full of praise for the Australian fans and said that they were "knowledgeable" about the sport and also brought "so much excitement to the court."
"It's many tennis players' favorite tournament including mine. It always feels super special playing in front of Aussie fans, they are so knowledgeable about tennis and they bring so much excitement to the court," she added.
Ivanovic closed the video post by asking her followers to share their thoughts and for their choice of the winner.
The Australian Open 2023 will conclude on January 29.
A look back at Ana Ivanovic's career highlights
Ana Ivanovic is known for her memorable performances, most notably on the clay court. Let's take a look at the former Roland Garros champion's twelve-year long journey.
She turned pro in 2004 and continued to rise, winning her first WTA title at the Canberra International in 2005. Her breakthrough year was 2008, when she reached the finals of the Australian Open and won her first Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
In consequent years, she struggled with her consistency, change in coaches, and back injuries. However, she persisted and made a strong comeback in 2012, reaching the finals of the Fed Cup and the quarterfinals of the US Open, ending the year in the top 20.
The Serb has often paired up with compatriot Novak Djokovic and the duo reached the finals of the Hopman Cup in 2013. Her performances continued to be steady as she ended 2014 within the top 5 and reached the semifinals at the French Open in 2015.
After being absent for most of the season in 2016 due to injuries, Ana Ivanovic announced her retirement from the game. The former French Open champion was honored in a ceremony at the 2017 French Open.
Off court, the former World No. 1 is one of the highest paid athletes, being a spokesperson for Adidas and also owning a line of skincare cosmetics.