Ana Ivanovic Reveals Debilitating Panic Attacks: ‘Incredibly Intense’ During Final Seasons
Former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic Opens Up About ‘Incredibly Intense’ Panic Attacks That Plagued Her Final Seasons
Former world No. 1 and 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic has lifted the lid on a very difficult period of her career.
Several years after her retirement (in 2016, at just 29 years old), the Serbian revealed that she suffered from violent panic attacks during her final seasons on the tour, a problem that sometimes prevented her from playing normally.
"In the last years of my career, I faced severe panic attacks before every time I stepped onto the court. I never talked about it, but their intensity was simply incredible."
‘My game would collapse because I was overwhelmed by panic’
This revelation helps to better understand some of the difficult moments Ivanovic experienced at the end of her career.
After reaching the pinnacle of tennis and winning a Grand Slam title, the Belgrade native gradually lost consistency, notably due to injuries and constant pressure.
"People wondered what was suddenly happening to me during a match, why my level would drop so abruptly, but the truth is that I was overwhelmed by panic and I simply couldn't continue anymore.
Then I was consumed by fear of having to come back and play in front of the crowd the next day," the former world No. 1 recounted.
