It’s official, Ana Ivanovic has finally solved her coaching problem, appointing American Craig Kardon as her new tennis coach.
Ivanovic will work with the 47-year-old Kardon on a trial basis. Their collaboration will start at next week’s Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.
Ivanovic on the partnership with Kardon:
I’m happy to begin working with Craig. We’re going to see how it goes in the beginning and then I’ll make a decision about the longer-term future.
I feel like I made good progress during the Fed Cup tie and I’m not so far away from finding my old form. Craig has a lot of experience, he encourages attacking tennis and I am hopeful we will achieve some good results together.
Kardon used to coach eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova (they worked together during the last of her nine Wimbledon titles), Lindsay Davenport, Mary Pierce and Jennifer Capriati.
Scott Byrnes will remain Ivanovic’s strength and conditioning coach. (source: Ana Ivanovic’s official website)
2007 and 2008 only proved that Ivanovic is a half season player, (injuries are part of the game).
She is not mentally tough as the Williams sisters or Sharapova or other great players. First thing this new coach has to work on is her mental toughness; crying in the middle of matches is a sign mental weakness.
Second get her mind set on tennis. Instead of modeling make Ivanovic hit the tennis courts to pracice her serve and forehand. I’m sorry to say less dating around, it seems to be a distraction to her.
Third make sure she stays in shape, I don’t want to get in to details.
I hope this new coach will help her bring her best game back.
Bravo Ana! She will be a terrific tennis player.
Good luck, Ana!!!!!
And Carlos:
1) she’s never cried during a match
2) she’s not dating anybody
3) she’s as fit as ever
1)She did cry last year when Ana lost the first set to Dimentieva in Germany.
2)She dated Fernando Verdasco and now is reported to be link to Aussie golfer Adam Scott please check the photos.
3)Last Year in Japan Open, (the first of the two tournaments held in Japan) at the players party the purlple dress that she was wearing you could clearly see her big gut. Once again please check the photos.
I wouldn’t describe Ana as a player who cries, either. She can have her moments of mental fragility, but she’s quite often mentally strong, too.
Every career has ups and downs. Ana will be back again, that’s certain.
Ms. Marija I do agree that careers have ups and downs. If an athlete cries after a game is perfecly understandable all the emotions come out wether in victory or speacially in defeat. I have a problem with athletes who cry in the middle of their games, it tells me that they have given up, they always end up losing. Ms. Ivanovic has cried more than once in the middle of matches. Coaches are suppose to be psychologist, I’m hoping her new coach can get Ana in the “I will not lose this match even if it the opponent has match point.”
The thing is that I remember Ana more as a person strong enough to fight off match points, than crying when things are not going her way. Don’t forget the Wimbledon quarterfinal against Nicole Vaidisova: https://womenstennisblog.com/2007/07/05/ana-ivanovic-defeats-nicole-vaidisova-to-reach-wimbledon-semifinal-for-the-first-time/
I agree, but I also remember her crying in the middle of her Wimbledon 08, third round loss.
Okay, well we can all agree she cries right? I think it’s just a fact. No point in arguing. Anyway, I’m excited for this new step, hope she does amazing with him.
I think Ana wasn’t strong enough to deal with her Grand Slam titlist status, she’s still in the process of maturing as a player. Still, I believe she’ll overcome this bad phase.
Ana does not have a *gut.* Just look at any photos from Australia of her in a bikini or training.
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1441/anaivanovic3bd3.jpg
Ms.Alison the photos that you are indicating are of Ana getting back in shape 09. The photos that I’m refering to are of Ana being back from injury from o8. It is well documented that Ana tends to gain weight, I don’t have a problem with that, but is a fact that no one can deny it ethier. Ana got out of shape after her injury even John McEnroe said it while commenting during an Ivanovic match at U.S. Open 08.
Ms. Marija you said that Ana could not deal with pressures of being of a Grand Slam titlist. You said that Jelena couldn’t deal with the pressure of not winning a Grand Slam. If I’m not mistaken you also have said that both of them could not deal with being number one. I agree with all of does points. These ladies should hire a sports psychologist to help them deal with pressures.
Good coaches who can read their needs would be just enough to fix those mental issues. Also, I feel they are both still maturing as players.
Are you saying that Ana’s former coach Sven was not a good coach? At times he did not have a handle on Ana’s mental emotions. Women tennis is a young ladies sport, at the age of 28 a player is consider a grandmother. A player’s peek is at their early twenties if they are not mature as players by then, there is problem. Ana is 21 and Jelena 24.
I think Sven was a great coach, but I don’t think Ana and Jelena need a psychologist, although, who knows, now that I’m thinking, it could bring faster results.
I know, Ana and Jelena are not that young, I had that in mind, but despite that I feel they still need to mature. I know, that’s a problem, but as you can see, things are changing pretty quickly in both women’s tennis and in players’ forms.