By Blair Henley
It’s been just over two years since a smiling Ana Ivanovic charmed her way to victory at Roland Garros, but all memories of the brunette Serb hoisting any kind of trophy seem to be as distant as her No. 1 ranking.
Just ask Eugene Lapierre, tournament director at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, who denied the 22-year-old a wildcard into the main draw despite the fact that she won the tournament four years ago.
Instead, the wildcard will likely go to Canada’s No. 2 player, Stephanie Dubois, sending 63rd ranked Ivanovic into unfamiliar territory – the qualifying tournament.
On paper, Lapierre’s decision seems defensible, however unpopular. After all, the tournament’s 56-person draw puts Ivanovic on the bubble anyway, and it’s not uncommon to give wildcards to local talent.
But Ivanovic is a former champion. In fact, Lapierre admitted that “she’s a player who has done a lot for our tournament — almost saved it one year.”
That seems like reason enough to let her give it a go. Not to mention the obvious benefits of having the presence of the still-popular Ivanovic guaranteed in the main draw. Dubois, ranked 125th, may be the hometown girl, but let’s be honest, it’s doubtful she’s a bigger draw than Ivanovic.
Right or wrong, the controversy at the Rogers Cup has highlighted the fact that Ivanovic will not be able to slide by on her marketability (read: looks and personality) forever.
If she’s really serious about resurrecting her game after an inexplicable two-year funk, she might want to consider pulling an Andre Agassi. In 1997, Agassi’s ranking sunk to No. 141, leading many to assume his career was finished. But with a new focus on his fitness, he decided to swallow his pride and work his way through the Challenger Circuit, also known as the minor leagues of tennis. Of course, we all know how that turned out.
Who knows if an Agassi-like resurgence is in the cards for Ivanovic, but one thing’s for sure – she’s got to change her approach (not just her coach, which she has done several times in the past two years). Some have speculated that she might benefit from a turn in the qualifying rounds, and while that may be true, there is also the potential that losing early could crush any sliver of confidence she has left.
So what about playing in some slightly smaller tournaments? Her ranking is still good enough for automatic entry into any second tier event, which could be a great place to start as she continues her quest to locate her once-dazzling form. Losing in a main draw match, no matter what level, won’t be quite as psychologically debilitating as losing in the qualifying.
The Rogers Cup follows two, possibly three, tournaments where Ivanovic will play in the main draw thanks to wildcards. While it’s tough to completely understand Lapierre’s reasoning in Montreal, it may provide a much needed reality check for the almost-superstar. No one gets free passes for life.
After losing 6-3, 6-0 to Alisa Kleybanova in the second round at this year’s French Open, Ivanovic said, “I’m on the right path, and I’m doing lots of things right. I have a plan in place, and I have a really good team around me. I’m very happy with the improvements that have been made.”
Then she went on to lose in the first round at Wimbledon.
Her calm in the face of a career meltdown is admirable, but there comes a point when breaking a racket or launching an incoherent rant during a press conference might actually be cathartic. It must be exhausting to act like each successive loss is independent of a bigger problem.
Ana Ivanovic is an interesting case. Unlike Dinara Safina, another former No. 1 whose gradual self-destruction has been about as subtle as Venus’s “illusion” outfit at Roland Garros, Ivanovic’s slide has seemed oddly avoidable. She says all the right things, she’s been relatively healthy, she looks frustrated, but not panicked in her matches, and every tournament she plays seems like the tournament that will prompt “She’s Back!” headlines.
But so far, that hasn’t been the case. Maybe Ana will look back and thank Mr. Lapierre for giving her the kick in the buns she needed. We’ll soon find out.