TENNIS WTA Stuttgart – J. Jankovic d A. Kleybanova 6-4, 6-3. An interview with Jelena Jankovic.
Have you got Petar Popovic in your box?
Yes, for this week.
Is he working with you or just cheering?
He’s just helping and joining our team for this week. Because Karlovic was not playing this week. He’s working with Karlovic. He’s his coach. So, he’s just helping and joining the team for this week. He’s a good friend of ours. So, it’s nice.
So, your split and the time it took to get back up. Is that because you didn’t want to put your hand down or is it old age?
No, you know, actually this was my first split in such a long time. It brought back a lot of memories.
Some good, some bad?
Yes, when I was doing that all the time, it was a lot of fun when I was very flexible. I’m kind of still flexible but it’s so much more difficult to get up, that’s the difference. So, I’m kind of now afraid to do them, just so I don’t get injured because I had a lot of injuries not because of the splits but just because I’m not as flexible as I used to be. So, I’m working on it, it’s getting better. I did my first one in a really long time. So, I think the crowd enjoyed it.
So, looking ahead now to the semi-final, this was the first-round match that everybody was really looking forward to. Now it’s actually a semi-final. What are your thoughts?
Actually, it’s for the better that we are playing the semi-final than in the first round because one of us will be in the final and it’s great for our country. It’s going to be great for either one of us to be in the final, to be competing for the Porsche. It will be a tough match. We’ve had really tough matches in the past and she’s playing quite well in this moment. I hope to be playing well as well. So, hopefully it will be a good match and the better one will win.
And you’re going for the Porsche?
It would be nice to get that blue one to my collection. I love Porsches. I enjoy driving them. They’re such great cars, such amazing brand. So, it would be nice
It was a good match for you but you are never really satisfied about your game?
Never actually. I’m a perfectionist and I get off the court and I always feel that I could have done so much better. I think there is just something in my nature. I’ll never say that I played so well. I always think my opponents played much better and I was maybe lucky a little bit here and there. No, but I think that I served very well, especially that first set I think that was the key because I broke her in the first game of the first set and I was able to keep my serve throughout the first set and win it. So, in the second set my first percentage went down and I gave her a look at my second serve a lot more and she took advantage of that. But I was able to break back and stay strong mentally and kind of get through. It’s not easy, especially that I was playing my doubles partner, you know someone I know very well and she’s such a nice girl, such a great player. It’s never nice to be playing against each other. But that’s the draw and you feel kind of awkward, Even though we are all professionals, I want to win, she wants to win but it’s kind of weird. Tomorrow we’re together on the same side. So, it’s never easy to do that.
With everything that Alisa has been through, how inspiring to you think it is for her to come back, especially since she took out Kvitova in her first match?
She showed that she is such a strong girl and it’s very inspirational to others that she was able to come after such a tough illness and it’s even more amazing that she is here competing at such a high level against all of us here. I’m very proud of her and I’m a big fan of her. I cheer for her every time she plays against other people and I support her. She’s a lovely girl. She’s an amazing person which is more important than being a great player, at least in my opinion.
When it comes to talking to the press you’re one of the most entertaining players. Is it something you work on or…?
Do you think I work on this? Of course not. It’s just my nature. Even though you think I’m doing a press conference for me this is just fun. That’s how I am even if there were no cameras around. If you guys were with me when I’m in the restaurant or outside the tennis court, then you’d know me a little bit better, then you would know that’s how I am. I’m bubbly and I just like to talk, sometimes nonsense. No, but it’s nice to have a good time and make people laugh and spread that good energy. I think that’s most important.
Did you ever regret something that you said?
Sometimes. I kind of realized over time that if you say something in a joke people don’t say ‘ha, ha, ha’ in the newspaper and people can think I said it in a serious way and I was just trying to say something funny or it sounded differently, was taken in a different context. But that’s you know …
It doesn’t affect you?
No, because I know what I say, what I meant. But I try to be kind of careful.
The press used to make a big big deal of you and Ana, your backgrounds and of how you came to where you were. A few years are past now. I guess the two of you …, you play Fed Cup?
No, we’re fine. We are both such great players and nice girls. You know, that’s the sport. We are good professionals. We both want to win. That’s just basically it. There is nothing … like you play someone else. That’s how you have to look at it. It’s not easy playing someone from the same country. Like I said it’s going to be good whoever goes to the finals. It’s going to be a good result. So, we’ll see how it goes. Hopefully we both play good tennis.
Last time you played Ivanovic you won?
When was that?
Madrid.
Oh, it was Madrid. That was a long time ago. We’ll see. I think every match is different. It depends on which kind of form you’re in, your confidence, the way you’re playing, how you feel in the moment. We’ll see. We’re both playing pretty well in this moment and like I said the better one will win.
