Ana Ivanovic Biofile

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Ht: 6-1 Wt: 150

DOB: November 6, 1987 In: Belgrade, Serbia

Tennis Inspiration: “Monica Seles. I was watching her on TV when I was four. During the break there was a commercial for a tennis school. I remembered the phone number and kept asking my mom there for maybe a month. Finally, she agreed. I fell in love with the game straight away. And for my fifth birthday my father gave me my first racquet.”

First Tennis Memory: “I remember my first ever lesson. I can’t describe how happy I was. It’s just a simple love for playing the game.”

Hobbies/Interests: “I love reading, especially historical thrillers. I spend a lot of time watching DVDs and going to the cinema. I like to have long dinners with my family and friends, I find that very relaxing.”

Last Book Read: “Monica Seles autobiography.”

Favorite Movie: “The Departed.”

Favorite TV Shows: “24, Lost and Prison Break.”

Musical Tastes: “Lots of kinds, Hip-hop, R&B, pop, Serbian.”

Favorite Meal: “Asian, especially sushi and black cod.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Cookies and cream.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “I like to be alone for the final moments before a match. I sometimes play Sudoku and listen to music. This helps me relax and then, just before I go out, I start to really think about my tactics for the match.”

First Car: “Peugeot 207.”

Current Car: “Peugeot 207.”

What Would You Be If Not A Tennis Player: “It’s hard to say. Probably I would be doing something with languages. I love languages.”

Favorite Web Site: “I enjoy visiting my own web site (www.anaivanovic.com). Because it’s a nice record of my career. I also Google a lot and You Tube.”

Favorite You Tube Videos: “I like to watch clips from comedy shows like Friends.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Winning the French Open in June of 2008.”

Most Painful Moment: “I would probably say that having to withdraw from the Olympics in Beijing was the most painful moment of my career. I had been dreaming of playing in an Olympics for many years, and I got injured just a few weeks before. I did everything I could to try and recover in time, but it was too late. It was a huge disappointment.”

Favorite Tournaments: “There are so many. But if I have to choose one, it’s the Australian Open. I have family in Melbourne and I love to visit there.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “Novak Djokovic. I’ve known him since we were four and he always made me laugh a lot. It’s fitting that they call him The Joker.”

Toughest Competitors: “Henin and the Williams sisters.”

Best You Ever Felt On Court: “It’s funny, I often dream about playing the perfect match. But of course, that’s impossible. Still, I’ve had some pretty good matches. Beating Sharapova 62 61 in the semifinals of the French Open was one of the best. Against Hingis in Montreal was also a great match for me. There was a match against Schnyder in Stuttgart when I won 60 62.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “My first ever match in front of a big crowd was an exhibition with Mansour Bahrami and Henri Leconte. Those guys are very funny. I was very nervous because I was so inexperienced but they were so funny that I was able to relax. They were all the time joking around. Novak is also fun to play with. We played together in mixed doubles in Australia and around that time we also played a singles exhibition against each other. I was laughing a lot during those matches.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Playing a junior tournament in Canada. I was in the player lounge and they called my match. I wasn’t quite ready so I was in a bit of a rush. I grabbed my bag and ran to the courts. When I got there, I realized I had taken someone else’s racquet bag! I ran back to return it and get mine. Luckily, whoever it was didn’t realize. But I was still very embarrassed.”

First Famous Tennis Player You Encountered: “It was Venus Williams. I was playing French Open juniors and I was with my friend Sanja Ancic, who was also playing. We were in the locker room and she saw Venus and thought it would be fun to have our picture taken with her. She was very nice to us. I still have the picture.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “I think it’s important to be driven, to have a goal. I like people who are caring and generous and also those who have a good sense of humor.”

Photo (Creative Commons License): NAPARAZZI