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Former No. 1 Ivanovic still in free fall
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Posted by James Martin, TENNIS.com
At this point, only days after the French Open, it's hard to focus on anything tennis-related beyond Roger Federer's historic win. But amid the buzz at Roland Garros came news about a player who used to be at the top of the sport. Now, however, she is searching for answers to why her game has bottomed out quicker than the stock market.
This week, Ana Ivanovic announced that she has parted ways with her coach, Craig Kardon. It was a fleeting partnership that lasted only a few months -- Ivanovic hired Kardon shortly after the Australian Open -- and failed to help the Serb get her groove back.
It was only a year ago that Ivanovic won her first major, the French Open, and rose to the world No. 1 ranking. With her clean-hitting strokes and high-spirited personality, she was celebrated as the next "It" girl on a tour in desperate need of star power. Sadly, Ivanovic's star seems to have imploded. No sooner had she hit the peak of women's tennis than she found herself in free fall.
After her victory in Paris last year, she lost in the third round of Wimbledon and the second round at the U.S. Open. This year has been even worse as Ivanovic has struggled to win matches, let alone tournaments. In fact, she has won three or more rounds in a single event only twice, reaching the final of the Pacific Life Open and the fourth round at the French. The Ivanovic we saw in Paris was a shell of her former self, a player low in confidence and high on unforced errors. In the fourth round, the game's latest upstart, Victoria Azarenka, schooled Ivanovic 6-2, 6-3.
Now, as Wimbledon approaches, Ivanovic finds herself positioned outside the top 10, at No. 13, for the first time in about two years.
It's a bizarre situation. Getting to No. 1 and winning a Slam should bolster a player's confidence, not take it away. By splitting up with Kardon, Ivanovic is clearly trying to find her game. Is going back to her old coach -- Sven Groeneveld, who got her to the top last year -- the answer? It was a productive, if complicated, partnership. Groeneveld is part of the adidas Player Development Program, so whenever Ivanovic faced a fellow adidas-sponsored player, Groeneveld couldn't support her in the player's box due to the obvious conflict of interest.
Ivanovic says she's still working with adidas' team of coaches, but given the state of her game you wonder whether a full-time coach, who can be there for her during all the big matches, would be the better solution.
Part of Ivanovic's struggles may also come down to her changed role in women's tennis. It's one thing to win when you're trying to make a name for yourself, but there's a lot more pressure when you're expected to defend your turf against the next generation. It's something Ivanovic alluded to after her loss to Azarenka.
"With all these young players coming up, I start to feel a little bit old," she said.
Coming from a 21-year-old, this isn't the most encouraging statement. Let's hope Ivanovic can sort it out. She has that rare mix of looks and talent that, like it or not, helps fuel the success of women's tennis. And if she isn't in the mix for winning Grand Slam titles? Well, there's always Federer to talk about.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Posted by James Martin, TENNIS.com
At this point, only days after the French Open, it's hard to focus on anything tennis-related beyond Roger Federer's historic win. But amid the buzz at Roland Garros came news about a player who used to be at the top of the sport. Now, however, she is searching for answers to why her game has bottomed out quicker than the stock market.
This week, Ana Ivanovic announced that she has parted ways with her coach, Craig Kardon. It was a fleeting partnership that lasted only a few months -- Ivanovic hired Kardon shortly after the Australian Open -- and failed to help the Serb get her groove back.
It was only a year ago that Ivanovic won her first major, the French Open, and rose to the world No. 1 ranking. With her clean-hitting strokes and high-spirited personality, she was celebrated as the next "It" girl on a tour in desperate need of star power. Sadly, Ivanovic's star seems to have imploded. No sooner had she hit the peak of women's tennis than she found herself in free fall.
After her victory in Paris last year, she lost in the third round of Wimbledon and the second round at the U.S. Open. This year has been even worse as Ivanovic has struggled to win matches, let alone tournaments. In fact, she has won three or more rounds in a single event only twice, reaching the final of the Pacific Life Open and the fourth round at the French. The Ivanovic we saw in Paris was a shell of her former self, a player low in confidence and high on unforced errors. In the fourth round, the game's latest upstart, Victoria Azarenka, schooled Ivanovic 6-2, 6-3.
Now, as Wimbledon approaches, Ivanovic finds herself positioned outside the top 10, at No. 13, for the first time in about two years.
It's a bizarre situation. Getting to No. 1 and winning a Slam should bolster a player's confidence, not take it away. By splitting up with Kardon, Ivanovic is clearly trying to find her game. Is going back to her old coach -- Sven Groeneveld, who got her to the top last year -- the answer? It was a productive, if complicated, partnership. Groeneveld is part of the adidas Player Development Program, so whenever Ivanovic faced a fellow adidas-sponsored player, Groeneveld couldn't support her in the player's box due to the obvious conflict of interest.
Ivanovic says she's still working with adidas' team of coaches, but given the state of her game you wonder whether a full-time coach, who can be there for her during all the big matches, would be the better solution.
Part of Ivanovic's struggles may also come down to her changed role in women's tennis. It's one thing to win when you're trying to make a name for yourself, but there's a lot more pressure when you're expected to defend your turf against the next generation. It's something Ivanovic alluded to after her loss to Azarenka.
"With all these young players coming up, I start to feel a little bit old," she said.
Coming from a 21-year-old, this isn't the most encouraging statement. Let's hope Ivanovic can sort it out. She has that rare mix of looks and talent that, like it or not, helps fuel the success of women's tennis. And if she isn't in the mix for winning Grand Slam titles? Well, there's always Federer to talk about.