Ana Ivanovic and her footballer husband enjoying sporting retirement
She retired from tennis back in 2016, yet Ana Ivanovic remains a big star with an army of fans around the world.
The 2008 French Open champion climbed to No 1 in the WTA rankings shortly after that success at Roland Garros and she also reached the Final of the Australian Open that year.
Now she is set to be inducted into the prestigious International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2024, after nominations were confirmed in recent days.
That accolade is fully deserved as Ivanovic was a hugely significant figure in Serbian tennis, as she broke through in the women’s game and provided a blueprint for others in her nation to shine on the tour.
Of course, Novak Djokovic has taken Serbian tennis to remarkable heights over the last decade and more, but he is always quick to praise the contribution of Ivanovic.
“We go back a long time. We’re friends, colleagues,” says Djokovic.
“You know, we’ve shared many moments together on the tour—in the junior circuit in Serbia, internationally. We’ve grown up together and our families have known each other.
“We played, we practised together, we played in a lot of tournaments together. We grew up together playing tennis in Serbia and then she went the other way.
“She went to Switzerland; I went to, you know, Germany to live for practice and kind of split. You know, our ways were different. But we kind of made the breakthrough to the professional tennis as well more or less the same time.”
The kind words from Djokovic towards Ivanovic are replicated when she reflects on her time with a player she is proud to call a friend, as she believes Novak is a step ahead of his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
“Novak is definitely the best player in tennis history,” she says. “The most fascinating thing about him is how long he is at the top of the game. Both Roger and Rafa had ups and downs but Nole always stayed at top.
“He is a joker, he always used to make me laugh and I must admit he also made me embarrassed a few times.”
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Tragically, injuries forced Ivanovic to quit professional tennis at the age of 29, but she has retained a big following thanks to her army of fans on Instagram.
Ivanovic’s stunning looks ensued she always had a big following outside of tennis and that has continued in the years since she struck her final ball, as she delights her fans with photographs chronicling her life with husband and former football Bastian Schweinsteiger.
https://twitter.com/anaivanovic/status/1702324571674665402
Ivanovic confirmed she still played some tennis despite quitting the sport professionally, as she enjoys competing against her husband.
“He’s very competitive, and he’s still trying super hard,” she said.
“We play every game that he gets 30-love, and he can maybe manage to get a game or two, but I sometimes make him work hard for points and sometimes let him win a game when he deserves it.”
Ivanovic has two sons with Schweinsteiger and she confirmed earlier this year that they are expecting another child.
“Being a mother has, of course, its beauties, but it also has its challenges,” she added.
“For four years I didn’t really sleep. There are so many moments when you are just really exhausted and you are talking the edge of survival, and you’re like, how do I do it? How can a little human make three, or two, or four adults super tired?
“But then you really pull from that, what you had in the past, and how you pulled through tough moments and long matches and exhaustion and so on.
“Of course, you don’t have the same stress like you had when you played. It’s very much like one smile and your world melts. It’s definitely beautiful, but it has its challenges, of course.”
Life is very different for Ivanovic these days, but she is still one of the most popular tennis stars on Instagram.
Her legacy in the game lives on and her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame confirms her achievements will always be etched into the fabric of the game.
