Sportski Zurnal in Serbia this week interviewed a director of Ana's management company, Gavin Versi, who oversees communications and travels with Ana on the tour, on subjects such as the current state of Ana's game and possible future scenarios.
The following is a transcript of the interview:
How tough is this last Ana defeat, in Indian Wells, since she was a winner and finalist in the last two years?
The fact that it came in Indian Wells is not so important. Sure, it’s a tournament Ana has traditionally done well at, but what is more disappointing is that there were such big signs of encouragement in New York only three weeks ago, in the match with Clijsters.
I know it was only an exhibition, but anyone who saw that match, and anyone who knows Clijsters, including her agent, will tell you that Kim was taking it seriously, and so was Ana. She played some very good tennis, so for her level to fall back significantly is obviously very disappointing for her, her supporters and everyone close to her.
Time passes by, but instead of getting out of the crisis, it looks like she is deeper and deeper in it?
Ana and Heinz have described this as a process. You guys in the media, and indeed many tennis fans, love to panic and make snap judgements. I remember reading so many articles saying that Federer was “finished”, shortly before he won the 2008 US Open. And also last year, there were comments about Murray, saying he will never win a Grand Slam; the guy is just 22! I don't think it's prudent to make these kind of judgements.
Ana is also just 22, she has already been No.1 in the world and she is a Grand Slam champion. Time is on her side. Things are not going to come good overnight. It is only a month since she started working with Heinz and it will take time.
Ana used to get similar questions about when she was going to reach the top 10. It took her over a year but she solved it on her own. Let’s all please be patient, and a little bit more calm about this. If Ana panicked in the same way that you are, according to your questions, she would not be able to walk onto court.
I personally have unshakeable confidence in Ana, as does her entire team and those who know her best. We have seen how totally devastated she has been over the past year or so, how much she cares about this, and how motivated she is to return to her old form. That shows us, even though we don’t need showing, that she will get out of this crisis.
What is the next move in Ana's career, how does she or her people plan to solve this situation?
Ana is working incredibly hard. She is doing everything possible to find her form, and we are supporting her in the best way we can. With hard work and being surrounded by people who have absolute confidence in her, she will overcome this situation.
As I mentioned, it’s only a month since she appointed a new coach, and that is obviously a big move, and one that we must allow time in order to see the relationship blossom.
She started to work with Heinz recently, but the first tournament went very badly. Since he has one more tournament to prove himself, in Miami, what must she do there if Heinz is to stay? What will be decisive in Miami, her result or way of playing?
Heinz does not have to “prove himself” in Miami. It is not about results at the moment: it is about improving the game. Already Heinz has shown Ana what a top class coach he is and the two of them need time to work on many areas: they will continue to work as they have done for the past month, without making any special changes because of one poor performance.
If Ana didn’t see some gains in practice then sure, there would be reason to panic. But every day we see her improving and it’s now a question of taking that into matches. Just a few days ago she beat a top 5-ranked player 6-3, 6-3 in a practice match in Indian Wells.
Heinz and Ana have trust in what they are doing and they both believe that results will come naturally.
If there is no improvement in Miami, will she change a coach again or there is a "plan B"?
As I said, it is just one month since she began working with Heinz. Any decision she makes regarding future co-operation would not be linked to her results in just one or two matches.
Since she began playing on the Tour six years ago, only two of Ana’s coaches worked with her for less than a year, and there is every reason to believe that Ana and Heinz’s coaching relationship will be long-term.
There are speculations that it might be a good solution for Ana to take a longer break or even to finish her career after so much disappointment. It must be hell for her to live through all of this. Has that ever crossed her mind?
Absolutely not. Ana loves tennis. She would only stop if she no longer enjoys playing the game. She has already earned more than enough money to live a great life for eternity, but she loves tennis and loves competing. The idea that she would retire because of an 18-month period of bad results is ludicrous and, with respect, anyone suggesting that just doesn't know Ana.
Look at Baghdatis: two days ago he had his first win over a top 10-ranked player in over two years when he beat Federer. Should he have retired? Of course not. He kept believing in himself and he has proven a lot of people wrong. Ana will do the same.
Ana is out of the top 50 now. What happens with her contracts with that low ranking? Will some of them be cancelled?
Ana’s contracts are all unaffected. It is not possible for them to be cancelled, and in any case her sponsoring partners didn’t only sign her because she’s a very talented tennis player: she is also a wonderful person and a superb ambassador for the brands she represents.
Only a few months ago she signed an extremely long-term agreement with adidas. This is a $15 billion company. They are not stupid: they have been involved in sports much longer than you or I, and they recognise immense talent when they see it. They also recognise that Ana is only 22, and she will return to the top again, but it’s going to take time.
Is the root of her crisis in game, mind or body (injuries)?
It all started with the injury to her thumb during the summer of 2008: she could not hold a racket properly for six weeks during arguably the most important period of the season, but she tried to find a way to play because she was No.1 in the world at that time. But unfortunately she lost too many matches that she should have won, and obviously that affected her confidence. Then there were several other small injuries, especially to her shoulder and the hamstring tear after Wimbledon, which affected Ana’s training and her attempts to find her rhythm through match play. All of this affected her confidence, as it would any athlete.
It’s actually quite simple to see the effect of the loss of confidence on Ana’s game: she is an attacking player who likes to take the game to her opponents and play on the front foot. To play this style of tennis, it’s essential to have confidence. When she doesn’t have confidence she does the exact opposite: she moves backwards and defends. That is not her game at all.
She has recognised that and has begun moving forwards and trying to play aggressively again, but she must commit to her shots, and that requires confidence and matchplay too.
Now that she has no big number of points to defend, will it take some burden off her back and allow her to play under less pressure?
I certainly hope so. But I think one of the biggest problems is that not so long ago Ana was No.1, and she is obviously desperate to get back to the top as soon as possible. She is constantly reminded about it, and of course she thinks about it too, and that creates extra pressure and impatience. It is more difficult to get back to the top than it is to get there in the first place. And when Ana achieves it, it’s going to be something special.
