With clay season started this week in Amelia Island, Eurosport (TV channel) made an analysis who is the best WTA player on clay surface (criteria based upon results in the last several clay seasons including the last 7 Roland Garosses, taking in consideration the stregth of the tournaments), Ana is placed #3 player on clay, Justine Henan is at #1 and Jelena Jankovic at #2.
Eurosport valued a good result at Grand Slam giving 2 time more points than Tier I events, and a little less than 3 time more than results achieved at category II, III and IV tournaments. As the title winner at the last 3 Roland Garosses, Justine is by far the most successful player on clay while Jelena played brilliantly on clay last season winning Charleston and Rome and reaching Roland Gaross Semifinal.
Ana has been listed in the 300 most influential people (at #92), 100 most influential women and 50 most influential sportmen in Serbia by the Serbian daily newspapers 'Blic'.
Ana appeared on the Calcutta Times (Indian newspapers) front page in the first week of April and commentated on the upcoming clay season: 'I really enjoy playing on clay and Berlin last year was a turning point in my career, not just because I won the tournament but because I reached the top 10 during this event'.
Ana: 'It’s been a very good start to the year. I feel like I continued on the same path that I was on last year. Obviously reaching the final of the Australian Open was a big highlight for me. The tournaments in Doha and Dubai were very frustrating. Getting injured is the most difficult thing about being a professional tennis player and I had a bad experience in Doha'.
Ana: 'It’s the next Grand Slam (Roland Gaross) and my goal is to win it. I have already reached two finals so I know what it takes to get there, and now I need to go one step further and win a Grand Slam. Paris is a special place for me, not just because of last year but I had a great time there three years ago when I reached the quarter-finals'.
Ana also talked about grass season that follow clay season: 'It’s definitely one of the most difficult parts of the season. It would be good if there was more time to adjust, and to recover from the French Open. But I see it as a big challenge, and one that I’ll enjoy'.
Ana: I have a good chance (at Wimbledon). I feel like my game is well suited to grass, because I have a good serve and I can play at the net and be aggressive. But there are many great players and it’s going to be extremely tough.
Ana's thoughts on Roger Federer: 'I have met him a few times. Actually I interviewed him last year, at a party just before the U.S. Open for The Tennis Channel. He’s a very nice guy. We talked tennis a little bit and it was very interesting for me to hear what he said, because I can definitely learn from him. I enjoy watching him play a lot'.
Ana will rest two weeks more, until April 26th, and the Fed Cup match, Ana's thoughts on her WTA schedule: 'It's very importanat to pay attention on choosing the tournaments because it's impossible to play good at several tournaments one after another. My first next tournament will be Berlin when I'm defending title, afterwards follow Rome and Roland Gaross'. Amelia Island is ongoing this week and Charleston starts next week.
In offcourt news, Wentworth Miller commanted on Ana's comment about him (in answer to fan questions who is one person Ana would choose to spend a day with, Ana said it's Wentworth). Wentworth said it would be a great honor to meet Ana and one does not need to follow tennis to know who Ana Ivanovic is and that aside being one of the best tennis players she is also one of the pretties tennis players.
