I have a lot of belief in myself.
— Ana Ivanovic
When competing a lot and traveling, I have problems with my lower back because I'm always on the plane or sitting. That's something that does bother me from time to time, but I try to stay on top of it.
When I was younger, I did have some dresses that weren't the best fits, and it can definitely affect you during a match - if you're having to constantly pull the dress down, for example!
In Belgrade, everything is possible.
I used to always want to play the perfect match, and this meant not losing a point. The realisation came around the time I was 19 years old, in the French Open final in 2007. This was a key period in my career. I was told I was going for too many winners, which was affecting my game.
A lot of coaches are very intense, which is good once you are working, but you don't want that all the time.
I know that us girls aren't the easiest to coach.
Pressure comes from myself, because I expect a lot, but I am trying not to put so much pressure on tournaments and to be less emotional during matches.
My goal is to be No. 1 and to win Grand Slams.
One of the downsides of the job is that I am travelling so much, and I don't have so much time to go out and socialise as people who have a more traditional job might do, so it's hard.
My parents were very protective of me and my brother, so they never talked to us about the situation in our country.
I think, for me, it's very important to have a good team and to feel comfortable in the environment.
Maybe 5 or 10 minutes before going on the court, I'll do some fast feet movements or sprint, but the only problem with that is sometimes after you finish warming up, you wait to get on the court, and you end up cooling down a little. It's not always ideal, but that's why I wait until the very last moment to do all of this.
I admire Roger Federer, not only for his tennis but also for his personality.
With experience, you understand expectations, you understand consequences, but sometimes it gets a little bit hard, especially for me, that I'm a perfectionist - I want to analyse everything. And sometimes it's most important to just let go and trust your instincts. This is what I need to do more of.
When you mature, you also get more secure about yourself. You see things differently.
Our job is quite strange in that we hire a coach, and therefore, we're the boss. But coaches tell us what to do, and I think some coaches might struggle with the idea of a girl being the boss and telling them, 'I don't want to see you now. I want to have some time to myself.'
We are constantly under lots of pressure, so I take lots of time to recover and do all the things I need for my body to be in the perfect state to compete the next day.
It's very important to take care of yourself. Everyone's lives are so busy. Take at least an hour a day to recharge and do whatever makes you better. For grown-ups, whether it's a spa, sitting in a park with a book, or coffee, take time for yourself.
The most important thing is always to feel comfortable - I would never sacrifice function for style.
Being from Serbia makes us tough and eager to prove that we can come from this country that has been through so much and still be successful.
In tennis, a lot of parents are accused of driving their kids into tennis. I would say I'm the opposite: I drove my parents into it. They didn't take it that seriously until I was about 11 or 12 years old, when they realised I had an opportunity to go pro.
There aren't many woman coaches in general, and I actually think it's good to have a male coach. Guys and girls have different mentalities. Girls are so stressed about everything. Guys take everything much more lightly. That's great, and it's something we have to learn from. I think one woman on a team is enough!
Sometimes it just becomes so technical that you forget what you're doing. If you start thinking about how you come down the stairs and think about how each muscle is working, you can't go down the stairs. Anyway, I'm a person who overthinks and overanalyzes everything, so if you give me one thought, it creates a lot more.
The time during bombings was definitely difficult for everyone. My parents, they really protected me from it, and we came through together.
When you have tough times, and when you learn you can't be perfect in every situation, it's hard to accept, you know, because I still do expect that. But you just have to, because, you know, it's not about the situation. It's how you deal with it. You always have a choice.
I feel flattered that people like the way I look, but it doesn't help you win points.
There's really not much friendship between the girls on tour. There's so much rivalry and jealousy, so everyone just hangs out in their own camp. In the locker room and players' lounge, you can feel the jealousy.
It's always been my dream to compete.
You'd be surprised at how many times I'd hit the ball, and the hair would go straight into my eyes. That's why, even when I play indoors, I wear a visor, because it stops that, and I'll apply a lot of gel and hairspray to keep it tight.
Before a match, I need to be alone. I need to reach concentration and focus on the game ahead of me.
It was different when I was young, aged 20, playing the French Open. I didn't have so much experience. I just played tennis because I loved the game.
Most of the coaches just tell you, 'No, no, you're doing well. This is fine.' But I actually want someone who will tell me what I didn't do right so that I can improve.
I made some choices that weren't right in the past. It cost me in terms of my confidence and everything.
I get massages almost daily. Sometimes I fall asleep during the massage, but it's very important to have deep-tissue massages because that type recovers muscles best.
I've never been a very flashy person.
I really love fish, so I'll mix between that and meat, but I have to have protein. I can't survive without it.
I have always been very dedicated to tennis, and it's true that I made some compromises in my life. For example, I never went out to parties when I was younger, and I spent less time with friends.
My parents themselves both went to university, and they very much expected me to be an intellectual and go through further education, and it's to kind of their surprise that I became an athlete.
You want a coach who is going to push you and be strong and be in your corner when it's tough, but sometimes you have coaches who think they are more important than the players. That's where the conflicts come.
For a coach to be able to help you, they need to get to know you well. They need to see what's happening - that you are not in the mood to talk, or something like this. It is very hard to find the right person.
When people talk about my charm or looks, it is very flattering. Of course, every woman likes compliments, but I don't take them too seriously.
Ever since I was a young girl, even in school, I was always a perfectionist, and I always wanted to do my homework as soon as I got home. Everything had to be done properly.
When I was starting out, it was almost impossible for me to get visas to travel to tournaments.
Once I became number one, I started working even harder. I changed my technique, but injuries started creeping in - it was a big mistake, as I was doing something right to get to that spot in the first place.
All we see is gym, tennis court, and bed.
I do not follow superstitions on court.
I am constantly trying to improve my playing and hope to get more and more mental strength. I think these are two of the success keys.
I think, in every person's life, you have ups and downs. You learn so much about yourself, sometimes even more, in the down times. Unfortunately, I had to go through it in public, which was not easy.
There are times when the only people you spend time with are the people in your team. That's hard, because I think, 'I'm a girl. I want to hang out with other girls. I just want to be a normal young woman.'
