2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic reveals she is a fan of Iga Swiatek’s game and added the Pole’s game reminds her a bit of her game.
Swiatek is having a stunning 2022 as she has won her last 28 matches and is aiming to win her sixth consecutive title at the French Open.
Just like Ivanovic, Swiatek became a Grand Slam champion at the French Open.
“I really like her style of game, it reminds me a little bit of my game,” Ivanovic said of Swiatek during her appearance on the Olympics Channel Podcast. “Especially when I saw her win Roland Garros in 2020. She really likes to run around her forehand; she has a really interesting game.”
Ivanovic on the mental struggles in tennis
12 months ago at the French Open, Naomi Osaka admitted to battling depression and anxiety.
Reflecting on that, Ivanovic said the challenges and pressure players face can definitely be tricky.
“There is so much, strangely, but there is, a lot more pressure on women to perform, to be constantly on top,” Ivanovic explained. “Osaka, she’s talked a lot about mental struggles and mental pressures she has and everyone has that, I think. It’s just how everyone handles it. And it’s not always nice, it’s not always easy.
“During times in my career, sometimes it was very hard because I was very much focused on the external, on results, on what people think and so on. And then you realise that actually that’s not what matters, it’s what comes from inside. I think the mental part of the game, it’s becoming so much more important than it ever was.”
Ivanovic thinks one of the biggest problems players face is that those outside don’t really see what’s going on behind the scenes.
“People make judgements according to what they see, which is not – well, most of the time – the full story. It can get really hard for players to get over it, because they know the truth is different,” Ivanovic added.