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ROGERS CUP

August 12, 2015

Ana Ivanovic

TORONTO, ONTARIO

A. IVANOVIC/O. Govortsova
6‑4, 7‑6

THE MODERATOR: First question for Ana, pleas.

Q. It looked like a tough one in the second set there and you were able to rally back. How was your back feeling and also how were you able to turn that set around?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, it was a very tough match actually. She had a few matches under her belt, and it was my first match in awhile. So I did also make some changes in my preparation. A little bit struggled in my set today, which I'm not happy about. Still I improved actually, and I was happy in the second set to stay in it actually and fight back.
My back is a little bit sore, it's a bit tense, but I think it'll be fine with some treatment and some massage.

Q. And you mentioned some changes in preparation. Can you talk us through what your post Wimbledon has been like and how you've prepared for the U. S. hardcourt season?
ANA IVANOVIC: I had some time off after Wimbledon, which I kind of needed. It was a lot of things happening.
But I started with Nigel straight after, and we had a great preparation. We had about three weeks of really hard work, and we did a little bit of work on my serve, and it was, you know, it was really improved, so I really hope in the next matches I can bring that out.

Q. Could you just talk about your time so far in Toronto? I know that you seem to like the city. You were at the players' party. Just want to talk about your experience in Toronto so far.
ANA IVANOVIC: I really enjoy the city. It has all the opportunities. It has great restaurants, and also a few years back I managed to go visit Niagara Falls, which is always fun, and people are very friendly. Yesterday I was just wandering around the city a little bit, having some coffee, and it's really nice.

Q. And just want to get your thoughts on how you'd like to do in this tournament.
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, hopefully I can still be here until the weekend. That would be a dream. But yeah, tough opponents, and as we can see, the field is very strong, so I really hope I can be strong in the next round.

Q. You've been able to do something that not a lot of players have been able to do. You were No. 1 in the world, dropped down to about 65 and have been able to make it back. What tactics have you used over the years to be able to reemerge the way you have?
ANA IVANOVIC: I think it's the belief and the love for the game. I really always try to push myself and try to improve, and I give my best every time I step on the court, you know, and sometimes‑‑ you know, sometimes it's enough, sometimes it's not, but I really believe in the ability I have and what I can still achieve and that's what drives me.

Q. What advice would you have for somebody like Genie who experienced such a rise at a young age like you did and is experiencing a tougher season now?
ANA IVANOVIC: You know, it was also‑‑ I went through that, and it's not easy, and every person or player goes through it differently because of the character. And she's very young. I think it's important to go back to her basics, you know, and what works for her and to work hard and actually listen to herself, you know, what she needs to do rather than being too much influenced by outside people; surround herself with the right people and then stick with it.

Q. When you were down in the mid 60s there, what did you tell yourself to keep going when you were going through some coaches, and you had some injury problems and the losses seemed to keep piling up? How did you get back on that rise?
ANA IVANOVIC: You know, to be honest, I probably wasn't even aware my ranking was that low. But yeah, I just remembered the tournament in Cincinnati. That was kind of the turning point for me and I managed to reach the semifinal, which kind of got me back to a little bit higher rankings.
Yeah, I know I just really in the beginning of that season I really struggled with myself and with just everything, you know. Like I really wasn't finding the purpose in working or playing. And I sort of turned that around a little bit and tried to find fun in the small things, because I just felt like everything was about tennis and I just wanted to go to the cinema, to have dinner with my girlfriends on the tour, and that I wasn't really allowed to do before, so I was like trying to find the balance and trying to actually learn what I needed as a person.

Q. When you've been No. 1 before, can you ever be satisfied with less, and how do you sort of reset your goals?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, the thing is I was very fortunate that I did achieve my dream of being No. 1, and I won a Grand Slam at the same time. And if you ask me now, I would be very happy if I'm not No. 1 then, but to win another Grand Slam. So that's something that really stays for you, with you.

Q. You sort of had your first big win here. I mean it was in Montreal. But at this tournament. What do you remember about that, and how do you compare yourself now and then?
ANA IVANOVIC: I was just looking at it, and it's kind of scary that it was nine years ago. But it was great memories for me. I remember playing Martina in the final and it was Monday final because of the rain delays, and it was such a dream for me playing against her because I grew up watching her win titles and win tournaments and then all of a sudden I had the opportunity to play against her and actually win.
And it was two‑set win, so I was very, very happy about that.

Q. At this point going into the rest of the season, how would you compare the last, I guess, eight months ‑‑ of the seven or eight months of the season compared to the first seven or eight months of last season, like how do you compare these two seasons so far?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, actually today as we've been introduced on court, I just realized how little matches I played this year, and I was a little bit surprised by that. But last year I really played lots of tennis, and that kind of built the fitness level up also for match endurance, and that's something that I still need to build, you know, to be in the top and to be content and for big events. So that's something I want to try and build on and try to work on.

Q. And do you think that the foot injury still from January kind of ‑‑ do you feel that still affected that?
ANA IVANOVIC: No. No. It's after America, so when we went back to Europe on clay, it was sort of fine by then.

Q. When you were working with some Serbian coaches, you talked about how it's easier when you can communicate in your own language and share your culture. Now you're sort of working with someone else from somewhere else. Can you still talk about that?
ANA IVANOVIC: I still have my Serbian other part of the team, which is also nice. For me it's important to find someone who I have great communication with, we can trust in each other's ability to achieve what we want to achieve, you know, to have the same goals and to work towards that. And you need someone that you feel that can help you get there.

Q. And can you just talk a little bit about why you picked going back to Nigel?
ANA IVANOVIC: We've been always in touch, and I've been seeing him on tour quite a few times. And actually, even before French Open we started to talk a little bit, and it wasn't the time, you know, and then after Wimbledon when I contacted him, he was very happy, and he kindly came straight to Mallorca, so we did a great preparation. And that was really nice, and I think we have‑‑ we were always joking, you know, we have to continue where we left off.

Q. For the top players on the tour contending for Grand Slams, does it ever get a little frustrating knowing that one player well into her mid 30s is still playing at such a dominant, high level and she's always looming in the slams?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, it's kind of intimidating a little bit, but it's also‑‑ I mean I feel very fortunate to have someone like Serena on tour and everything that she achieved in open era, I think it's amazing, and you know, I really hope she can achieve what she's going for. And you know, I think she deserves it. And she's been just great athlete and great inspiration for everyone, I think. And also this year to come back so many times and come back strong and keep winning, I really admire that because it's not easy‑‑ it's not easy being a woman on tour as well, and she's just managing that for so long and I really admire that.

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