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AEGON CLASSICJune 15, 2014Ana IvanovicBIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND A. IVANOVIC/B. Zahlavova Strycova THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Congratulations. ANA IVANOVIC: Thank you. Q. First grass court title. Pretty convincing too, all the matches. How do you feel leaving here? ANA IVANOVIC: Definitely very excited. I mean, I didn't think much about even winning title when I came here. I really wanted to just get into it and see how I feel on grass. I didn't have too much preparation coming into this week even, but I really felt better from each match. Today was a little bit tight. Conditions were really hard today; a little bit slippery, as well. I am just so happy to win that title. It really means a lot to me. Q. I'm guessing that areas you want to improve in the next week may be overheads. ANA IVANOVIC: Yes, definitely. I mean, actually I haven't missed much in the past. I really feel good on it. Today it was just so hard to time the ball. I think it was just more the nerves probably. (Smiling.) Q. Yeah. The hands raised when you finally got one in was pretty special. ANA IVANOVIC: I know. I think it was only one I got in, and in the previous matches I haven't missed one, so... Q. It was about a year ago that you split with Nigel. When you hit the hard court season, you seemed to be playing much more freely at that point. You seemed to be enjoying things a lot more and you've progressed so much from there to now. What actually has made the difference between the two years with Nigel and now with Nemanja? ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I think it's various things. Changing the coach and starting to work with Nemanja, he brought a few different things to my game. First of all, he really made me more relaxed on court. I had better directions to what I had to do on the court. We worked harder. Also, he's very laid back off the court but intense on the court, which is great for me. I'm kind of person that I just can't be all about work, work, work. I need to really find down time. I enjoy reading. I enjoy walking. I need to find this balance. He kind of made sure I had time to do that, and it was okay. I wouldn't feel guilty doing that either. So I started to be happier just enjoying life more, and I think that made the big difference. Then sort of the confidence start building, you know. Yeah, he really help me to build any confidence. Q. So now he's a grass court specialist as well now? ANA IVANOVIC: I think now he has the reputation. (Smiling.) Q. You lead the WTA in match wins; three titles, tied with Maria and Serena. You obviously beat them both this season. Up to No. 11; No. 6 in the race to Singapore. All these stats. What are you the most proud of about your season so far? ANA IVANOVIC: Titles. That's what really means a lot, you know. That's what everyone remembers. I really work hard to get to that position to compete and to be consistent and to do it over and over again. That's what I'm really proud of. Obviously on the race, it's something that really has been my motivation, inspiration for all these years. I try not to think about it too much, because over hard court season in America‑‑ Indian Wells and Miami‑‑ I really put a little bit too much pressure on myself and I sort of lost sight of what was going on. It was so far away, yet I was so much thinking about it. So it's just about enjoying and working hard, taking care of each match, and then the rankings and everything else takes care of itself. Q. This might sound like a stupid question ‑ and it may be one ‑ but a lot of athletes talk about how important it is for them to be happy in life to perform, in particular tennis players or individual sport athletes. Why do you think that is? Why is it important to just be fine like mentally in life? ANA IVANOVIC: I think it's vital, you know, because there is no secret. We do travel week in, week out. We are hardly ever unpacking. People only see us performing and see the glamourous side of it. They don't see what goes on behind the scene. Like Barbora, she has to now drive, get to the airport, fly to s'Hertogenbosch, and she has to play another match probably tomorrow it day after. It's just very important to find that happiness, because you miss your family, miss your friends, it's hard to have a normal relationship. So I think it's most important to be content with yourself and still put priorities right. It's not always easy. We're all in the same kind of job and state of mind. So it's very hard not to get dragged down, because sometimes you only see negatives, you don't see the beautiful things that many come with it. Q. And that impacts your tennis how? ANA IVANOVIC: When you're happier you're more relaxed and you're enjoying, and you can see that with every player. Once they're happy in their life, it just seems like they're playing better, they're happier. For me personally it really helps me because I'm more relaxed and I just see a big picture. I don't only see, okay, this point or this match, it's going to be disaster, it's going to be great. I don't judge. I just go, I see big picture and, and try to do my best. That's all we can do basically. You also have opponent, and sometimes opponent might have a great day and you end up losing tough match. It's just about seeing the big picture. Q. People will look at this grass court title and immediately think, Okay, Wimbledon. So how do you manage to keep sort of the pressure‑free attitude that you've got here and take that into a Grand Slam? ANA IVANOVIC: I think that's now my biggest goal, is to work at this. You know, it's a new situation for me. I experienced this, well, long time ago, probably, six or seven years. I haven't experienced this since, so it's a new position. But I really try to stay in the moment. I think this is where Nemanja can help me as well. We talk a lot, and it's important. Like I spoke before, very easy to get wound up in all expectations and this tournament, this match. It's much, much easier if you just relax and you do things have to do, because if you don't do the things the right way, you're not going to win, and then there is no second or third round. So you have to really take care of technical stuff first, you know, and then try not to think too much about the result. Q. Has it been a gradual process for you, this sort of realizing that you had to be relaxed, or were there a moment where it suddenly clicked? ANA IVANOVIC: To be honest, there was one moment where I decided it had to change.  It was about a year ago after I lost in Eastbourne. I had really long conversation with my brother, on Skype, of course. You know, we spoke like for hour and a half. It was just‑‑ turned out to be a long conversation. He really sort of made me relax and realize few things that I started thinking about. So I can say it was him who helped me get a different mindset. Since then, it's been a process. Obviously things don't happen overnight, but I'm very proud of the steps I took. I'm happier person. I don't judge myself by the results. I judge myself as a person and also the values and things that I have. Q. So do you sort of kick yourself in a way and think, God, God I wish I had known this earlier? ANA IVANOVIC: Definitely. I think you always do. You think, Oh, I was so stupid. I was worrying so much. That's another thing that's it's hard to realize. When you're in it, it's very hard to see. You're emotional. Your views are blurred. But it's important to also be aware that worrying doesn't solve anything. You have to take action. That's what's very important. Always the hardest thing to do, is take action about it. But it's the only way forward. Q. Do you try to get back to being the tennis player you were when you won the French Open, when you were world No. 1? ANA IVANOVIC: No. Q. Or are you a different tennis player? ANA IVANOVIC: I don't try. I try to be better. I try to improve. It was great. I mean, I was very young, very successful, but I don't want to be that person. I want to be different. I want to be more mature and more overall player, and as well happier. I think I'm happier now than I was then, even though then I was maybe higher ranked or had better results. Mindset is so much. Q. Have you drunk the champagne yet? ANA IVANOVIC: No, not yet. I'm saving it. I wouldn't be able to talk. Q. When will you drink it? ANA IVANOVIC: Tonight. You can't let it sit there for too long. Q. We were expecting to you come in with it. ANA IVANOVIC: It's so early. Q. Going back if 2008, if you were to give yourself some advice back then to you now, what would you tell yourself? ANA IVANOVIC: I would say to myself to be more relaxed and enjoy it a little more. Because I was really working hard and I think maybe it was even overtrained because it was all about tennis. I was just reading and playing tennis, reading and playing tennis. It was like not having any friends, not having any down time. It does get to you at certain points. I started traveling very young. I had always very good team around me. For years I was always with the same group of people. I didn't interact with other girls. I didn't of my friends over. I was hardly ever going back home. It is just very hard. And then after four, five years of doing that, you know, it gets excess. You get to a point like, Okay, this is great, but there is so much more to life. I have no friends. So this is something that I would say, to find a little bit more of a balance. Obviously you don't know, you know. I was young. I wanted it so much. That was the only way for me to do it. So I think now looking back I don't want to make same mistake because I think you can be successful even if you have a nice dinner. Q. Do you feel like a Grand Slam champion? ANA IVANOVIC: I think I do. I think I do. I have it in me, I know. It's still very hard work. I know that. So I have to just prove to myself that I belong back there. Winning titles definitely helps. Beating top players does help. That is why I'm still here, because I believe I can win a Grand Slam. You know, it's again a process, like I said. It's taking steps. Now I have been more consistent. It's being consistent on higher level. It's a process. I understand that. I try not to judge myself too hard, even though after Paris it was really hard. It took me some time to really get up and get moving again. But you understand, like I said before, action is the only way forward. You know, I'm going to be playing until I feel I can win a title. Q. But have you put the French Open, the 2008 French Open behind you? Do you still take that with you everywhere you go? ANA IVANOVIC: I do a little bit. I do a little bit. I always feel like I have to match that, but I have to also understand that I'm different person, different player. The competition is different. Everything is. I really have to get rid of past to be able to embrace the future. I'm doing that a lot better. Obviously it's been great movement forward, and like I said, there are so many things to look forward in my career. You know, I love competition. I love challenges. I need to embrace it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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