Quotes from Ana Ivanovic

I have always liked my hair when it's braided, because if I don't, it kind of runs in my eyes when I hit.

Being from Serbia makes us tough and eager to prove that we can come from this country that has been through so much and still be successful.

I use Moroccanoil shampoo and conditioner.

Ever since I was a kid, I've always thought it very important to be happy inside. There's a lot of bad things happening in the world, but it's important to try to stay happy and appreciate what you've got, and don't look externally for the happiness.

With experience, you understand expectations, you understand consequences, but sometimes it gets a little bit hard, especially for me, that I'm a perfectionist - I want to analyse everything. And sometimes it's most important to just let go and trust your instincts. This is what I need to do more of.

When someone recognises you or wants an interview, you think, 'You know, maybe I've done something good. Maybe I have a good result.' So if you see it in that way, it becomes a lot easier, and you realise that, actually, you're there and you've succeeded because of the media, because if it wasn't for them, no one in the world would know us.

When we were kids, I remember we'd use lemon in our hair and go into the sun, hoping it would make us blond. Obviously, I have very dark hair and olive skin, and when I was a kid, I wanted to be blond, of course. It never worked.

Maybe 5 or 10 minutes before going on the court, I'll do some fast feet movements or sprint, but the only problem with that is sometimes after you finish warming up, you wait to get on the court, and you end up cooling down a little. It's not always ideal, but that's why I wait until the very last moment to do all of this.

Coaches were all saying that I was really talented and I had potential, but coming from Serbia, it wasn't easy. The '90s were the hardest years for our country - we went through two wars.

My parents themselves both went to university, and they very much expected me to be an intellectual and go through further education, and it's to kind of their surprise that I became an athlete.

I feel flattered that people like the way I look, but it doesn't help you win points.

Once you are on court, it doesn't matter the way you look. It doesn't help you win points.

Most of the coaches just tell you, 'No, no, you're doing well. This is fine.' But I actually want someone who will tell me what I didn't do right so that I can improve.

It's always been my dream to compete.

Before a match, I need to be alone. I need to reach concentration and focus on the game ahead of me.

After a tough match, I'll do an ice bath, and that's really good for recovery because it helps circulation. Sometimes you feel really swollen.

I try not to think about the person, just their tactics, their weaknesses and strengths. I play against the ball.

You want a coach who is going to push you and be strong and be in your corner when it's tough, but sometimes you have coaches who think they are more important than the players. That's where the conflicts come.

I'm quite an emotional person. I cry a lot. I do not like conflict, so if I have an argument with my parents, I'll often cry. I become too emotional.

It's very important to take care of yourself. Everyone's lives are so busy. Take at least an hour a day to recharge and do whatever makes you better. For grown-ups, whether it's a spa, sitting in a park with a book, or coffee, take time for yourself.

My parents were very protective of me and my brother, so they never talked to us about the situation in our country.

As a people, Serbians are very tall, and we have olive skin and dark hair, which can look very nice. You have to be very beautiful to stand out.

I won two ITF tournaments in Japan in two weeks. I had to qualify for both of them, which meant that I won 16 matches in 15 days.

I lift weights. I'll do a lot of running, a lot of cardio and strengthening. I use my body weight, a TRX sometimes. A lot of it is endurance.