I can’t wait for the 2009 season to start and I’m especially eager to see how Jelena Jankovic will perform, because she took her number one ranking very seriously and is determined to stay on top as well as to win her maiden Grand Slam title. The following Jankovic’s statements make me anticipate the new season even more.
“My priorities will be on the big tournaments, Grand Slams and Tier 1s. When you prepare 100 percent, when you put all the hard work in, then you can really have higher expectations and you can expect yourself to achieve great things.”
“I’m really training hard,” added the 23-year-old Serb, who started training in November and is currently practicing in Florida. “Before I came here I was in Mexico in high altitude … trying to get stronger and fitter.”
Moreover, Jankovic can’t wait to face tough competition: “I want the girls to play their best tennis against me and I want to win in those circumstances. I’m up for the challenge. I want to compete in those best tournaments with the best players out there.”
“I love being in that role, being in the role of the No. 1 player in the world. I like that position and I want to stay there as long as it is possible,” Jankovic said. “I haven’t trained in my whole career as hard as I’m training now, and I hope and I believe that all this hard work will pay off.”
In addition to all the hard work, Jankovic has finally decided to ease her schedule. She will play less in 2009 in order to stay healthy.
I can’t wait to see the outcome of her preparations. All the best, JJ! (interview: Tennis.com, photo: Ralf Reinecke)
I would like her to win Australian open and Roland Garros. I love her clever game!
One at a time. I would like her to win the Australian Open first.
I am a huge fan of JJ, she’s my favorite women’s tennis player, but I’m always anxious when she goes up against heavy hitters, like Vee and Ree, A.I., Masha, or even Safina.
From the training pics, she definitely looks bulkier, but until the maiden GS is won, I feel like JJ fans are gonna have haters and critics on JJ’s back.
Hopefully she’s amped up her serve from being a tool to being a weapon. She can’t get taller (or maybe she can if she wears heels on-court XD), but she can be more aggressive w/a better serve.
Here’s to hoping for a GS in 2009.
Of course, those players can beat anyone, including Jelena, but Jelena can also beat them – that’s what makes tennis interesting.
I think Jelena has already achieved much more in 2008 than those critics expected, she has already proved them wrong. A GS should definitely be Jelena’s major goal, but for her own sake, not in order to prove anything to anyone.
I really like it that she’s all tennis now, she seems mature and smart about her career, and I believe that good results will come naturally.
well i think she is the best clay court player right now. so i expect her to win roland garros in 2009.
Jelena is great on clay, but she’s great on hardcourts too and definitely has a big chance now on AO.
It is great to see her make it through some tough matches, as a fan and someone who has strung her rackets at a few tournaments, way to go.
AO 2008 is a perfect proof for what you said, Patrick markey. Jelena was almost out in the first round, and what followed wasn’t easy either. But amazingly she reached the semis, one match at a time.