Ana Ivanovic is a Serbian professional tennis player. She is the current World No. 1 on the WTA Tour.
Date of Birth:
6 November 1987, Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia)
Height:
6' 1¼" (1.86 m)
Tennis Career:
As a 17-year-old, Ana first caught the world's eye when she reached the final of the 2004 Junior Wimbledon Tournament. That year she also held her own and almost beat Serena Williams. The next year Ivanovic won her first career singles title. Her ranking continued to rise after she posted big wins against Top 10 players like Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova and Vera Zvonareva. By the end of 2006, Ana was ranked 14th in the world, then the next year she climbed up to fourth! She started 2008 strong, by reaching the final of the Australian Open. Ana's biggest victory to date came at the 2008 French Open, where she defeated Dinara Safina in the final to win her first Grand Slam singles title.
Ana Ivanovic trivia
- Most embarrassing moment in tennis is when she took another player's racket bag onto court after mistaking it for her own
- The President of Serbia, Boris Tadic, attended her 20th birthday party
- Was featured on a Serbian postage stamp during the run-up to the 2008 Olympics
- One of her proudest achievements was winning 16 matches in 15 days as she captured back-to-back titles on the ITF Women's Circuit when she was 16
- Has won the tennisreporters.net Sexiest Female Player award for the last four straight years (2005-2008)
- Finished 11th on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2009 list
- Named the best-looking tennis player of all-time by The Age newspaper
- In October 2008 won Die Bild newspaper's reader poll for "most beautiful body" in sport
- In December 2008 was named "best looking" female tennis player by The Globe & Mail newspaper
- Has the most-visited website of any sportswoman (according to www.alexa.com, on 14 June 2008)
Ana Ivanovic facts
- Ana Ivanovic is 6'1" tall and weighs 150 pounds.
- Ana Ivanovic is sponsored by adidas.
- Ana Ivanovic speaks fluent English, Serbian and some Spanish.
- The President of Serbia, Boris Tadic, attended Ana's 20th birthday party.
- Ana Ivanovic's favorite drink is water, fresh orange juice .
- Ana Ivanovic's favorite music is pop and r&b.
- Ana Ivanovic's favorite food is sushi.
- Ana Ivanovic wants to learn how to surf.
- Ana Ivanovic loves the TV shows 24, Lost and Prison Break.
Ana Ivanovic biography and career review
2003 - Made pro debut on ITF Circuit (played four events), also Tour debut (l. in Luxembourg qualifying).
2004 - Top 100 finish in first full season on the Tour, making the biggest ranking jump of any player in 2004 (608 spots); as world No.156 qualifier at Zürich (in third career main draw after Vienna, Birmingham earlier in season), upset No.29 Golovin 75 67(2) 76(3) in 1r (overcame 5-1 third-set deficit, 2mp), l. to V.Williams 76(11) 76(6) in 2r (held five set points in first set and three in second set tie-break); the next week, made Tour QF debut at Luxembourg (l. to Medina Garrigues), afterwards on November 1 made Top 100 debut (at No.96); started season winning first 21 matches and three titles, $10,000 ITF/Mallorca 2-ESP, $50,000 ITF/Gifu-JPN (as qualifier) and $50,000 ITF/Fukuoka-JPN (as qualifier); won two more $50,000 ITF Circuit titles (ITF/Fano-ITA, ITF/Batumi-GEO) just prior to qualifying for Zürich.
2005 - Breakthrough season, highlighted by career-first Tour singles title at Canberra and first Top 20 finish; captured title in first event of year at Canberra (as qualifier, d. LL Czink in final, had defeated Czink in final round of qualifying, believed to be a Tour first; 26th qualifier in Tour history to win a title); reached QF or better at five other events, incl. QF at Miami (d. world No.7 Kuznetsova en route for first Top 10 victory, falling to Mauresmo in first Tier I QF), SF at Warsaw (d. No.10 Zvonareva en route to first Tier II SF, losing to eventual champion Henin-Hardenne), QF at Roland Garros (on debut, d. No.3 Mauresmo en route for best match win of career to date, falling to Petrova in first Grand Slam QF), and consecutive SF in the fall at Zürich (l. to Schnyder in first Tier I SF) and Linz (l. again to Schnyder); in addition to Roland Garros, made debuts at all other Grand Slams, at Australian Open (l. in 3r to Mauresmo), Wimbledon (l. in 3r to Pierce) and US Open (as No.18 seed, upset in 2r by Vento-Kabchi in 3s; at No.16, was highest ranked player to make her debut at the US Open since No.14 Capriati in 1990, bettered only by No.12 Seles in 1989 since inception of computer rankings in 1975); reduced ranking to less than one-fifth between beginning and end of season, ranked No.100 in first event at Canberra, making Top 50 debut (at No.50) on March 7, Top 20 debut (at No.20) after Wimbledon, and rising to current career-high No.16 on August 29; withdrew from Toronto [Canadian Open] prior to 3r match vs. Clijsters w/right pectoral muscle strain, withdrew from Luxembourg w/right shoulder injury and from Moscow w/left wrist strain.
2006 - Second consecutive Top 20 finish; season highlighted by capturing second and biggest Tour singles title at Tier I Montréal (as No.13 seed, d. No.9 seed Safina in SF and No.7 seed Hingis in final); clinched US Open Series victory with the title; seven-time quarterfinalist, at Sydney (upset No.2 seed Mauresmo en route, falling to No.6 seed Kuznetsova), Indian Wells (l. to Dementieva in 3s), Warsaw (upset No.2 seed Schnyder en route, falling to Chakvetadze in 3s), ‘s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Dementieva), Los Angeles (l. to Jankovic), Linz (l. to Sharapova) and Hasselt (l. to Krajicek); win over world No.3 Mauresmo at Sydney was equal-biggest career victory, and win over world No.8 Schnyder at Warsaw was second Top 10 win of season, fifth of career; reached 4r twice, at Miami (l. to Mauresmo) and Wimbledon (as No.19 seed, d. No.14 seed Safina in 3r, falling to top seed and eventual champion Mauresmo); 3r three times, incl. Roland Garros (as No.19 seed, l. to No.10 seed Myskina) and US Open (as No.16 seed, l. to WC S.Williams); 2r three times, incl. Australian Open (as No.21 seed, upset by Stosur), and fell 1r three times, incl. Berlin (ret. vs. N.Li w/left hamstring strain); notched 100th career singles match win in Warsaw 1r (vs. Domachowska), also surpassed $1 million in career prize money earnings; on September 11 (after US Open), moved from No.17 to No.15, her career Top 15 debut; on October 16, moved up to No.13, a new career-high; reached first Tour doubles final at ‘s-Hertogenbosch and a semifinals at Tokyo [Pan Pacific] and Warsaw (all w/Kirilenko); withdrew from Rome w/left hamstring strain and from Stuttgart, Zurich w/right shoulder tendonitis.
2007 - Another breakthrough season of sorts, culminating in first Top 10 finish, highlighted by third, fourth and fifth career Tour singles titles and first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros; won titles at Berlin (as No.12 seed, d. No.3 seed Kuznetsova in final; second career Tier I title), Los Angeles (as No.3-seeded WC, d. No.2 seed Jankovic 46 63 75 in SF after trailing 4-1 in third set and saving 2mp down 5-4; d. No.4 seed Petrova in final) and Luxembourg (as No.2 seed, d. No.4 seed Hantuchova 36 64 64 in final, having trailed 63 30); two-time runner-up, at Tier I Tokyo [Pan Pacific] (as No.5 seed, d. No.4 seed Jankovic en route; l. to No.2 seed Hingis) and Roland Garros (as No.7 seed, d. No.3 seed Kuznetsova in QF and No.2 seed Sharapova in SF before falling to top seed Henin in final; was first player representing Serbia, male or female, to reach a Grand Slam singles final); SF three times, at Amelia Island (as No.6 seed, d. No.2 seed Jankovic en route; l. to No.8 seed Golovin in 3s), Wimbledon (as No.6 seed, overcame 3-1 third set deficit to d. No.11 seed Petrova 61 26 64 in 4r and 5-3 third set deficit and 3mp trailing 5-4 to d. No.14 seed Vaidisova 46 62 75 in QF; l. to No.23 seed and eventual champion V.Williams) and finally first Tour Championships - having qualified at No.4 in Race, compiled 2-1 RR record (d. Kuznetsova and Hantuchova; l. to Sharapova) to reach SF (l. to Henin); notched 12 Top 10 wins during season, at Tokyo [Pan Pacific] (No.10 Jankovic), Amelia Island (No.9 Jankovic), Berlin (No.4 Kuznetsova), Roland Garros (No.3 Kuznetsova, No.2 Sharapova), Wimbledon (No.9 Petrova, No.10 Vaidisova), Los Angeles (No.3 Jankovic, No.9 Petrova), Luxembourg (No.10 Hantuchova) and Tour Championships (No.2 Kuznetsova, No.9 Hantuchova); wins over Sharapova and Kuznetsova were career-best wins; having begun year No.14, made Top 10 debut on May 14 (moving from No.16 to No.8 after Berlin), Top 5 debut on July 9 (moving from No.6 to No.5 after Roland Garros) and reaching career-high No.4 on August 13 (after Los Angeles); four more QF, at Gold Coast (l. to Peer), Sydney (l. to Vaidisova), Antwerp (l. to Clijsters) and 's-Hertogenbosch (l. to Hantuchova); suffered eight pre-QF losses in 19 regular season events, incl. at Australian Open (as No.13 seed, l. 3r to No.22 seed Zvonareva) and US Open (as No.5 seed, l. 4r to No.12 seed V.Williams); surpassed both $1 million and $2 million in career earnings, in fact earning over 60% of her career prize money this season alone; withdrew from Rome w/ankle injury and from San Diego w/knee injury.
2008 - Second straight Top 5 season, highlighted by winning first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and ascending to No.1, then rebounding from injury-marred mid-season to finish strongly; started season 27-6, a stretch highlighted by winning sixth and seventh Tour singles titles at Indian Wells (as top seed, d. No.3 seed Jankovic and No.2 seed Kuznetsova in SF and final) and Roland Garros (as No.2 seed, d. No.3 seed Jankovic in SF in match where No.1 ranking was on the line, then d. No.13 seed Safina in final) and runner-up finish at Australian Open (as No.4 seed, l. to No.5 seed Sharapova in final); also SF twice, at Sydney (as No.4 seed, l. to top seed and eventual champion Henin in 3s) and Berlin (as No.2 seed, l. to No.7 seed Dementieva 62 75; held sp at 5-4 second set) and QF once, at Dubai (as No.3 seed, l. to No.8 seed and eventual champion Dementieva in 3s); only three pre-QF exits during first half of season came at Doha (as top seed, withdrew before 3r vs. No.16 seed A.Radwanska w/left ankle injury), Miami (as No.2 seed, l. to No.32 seed Davenport in 3r) and Rome (as top seed w/1r bye, l. to qualifier Pironkova in 3s in 2r); having come into 2008 at No.4, rose to No.3 on January 14 (after Sydney), No.2 on January 28 (after Australian Open) and No.1 on June 9 (after Roland Garros; was 17th of now 18 world No.1s since rankings began in 1975); struggled mid-season, a right thumb injury hampering her preparations as she went 5-6 in next six events, falling early at Wimbledon (as top seed, l. to WC Zheng in 3r) and not winning back-to-back matches in her next five events, at Montréal (as top seed w/1r bye, l. to Paszek in 3s in 3r), US Open (as top seed, l. to qualifier Coin in 3s in 2r), Tokyo [Pan Pacific] (as No.2 seed w/1r bye, l. to Petrova in 3s in 2r), Beijing (as No.2 seed w/1r bye, l. to Zheng in 3s in QF) and Moscow (as No.4 seed w/1r bye, l. to Cibulkova 36 62 76(4) in 2r; held 2mp at 5-4 third set); also withdrew from Olympics w/right thumb injury; rebounded in last two events of regular season, going 6-1 in reaching SF at Zürich (as No.2 seed, l. to No.3 seed and eventual champion V.Williams in 3s) and winning eighth Tour singles title at Linz (as top seed, d. No.2 seed Zvonareva in final); fell in RR stage in second straight Tour Championships (as No.4 seed, went 0-2 in RR, falling to No.1 seed Jankovic and No.8 seed Zvonareva in 3s, then withdrew from tournament w/viral illness); withdrew from Eastbourne w/right adductor injury; represented Serbia in Europe/Africa Group I play-offs (went 4-1) and World Group II play-off win vs. Croatia (1-0).
ana ivanovic says..
"I can improve in all areas, even the best areas of my game. I am working hard on increasing my fitness, strength, serve and net game especially. I also need to get more experience of playing the top players."
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