"I experienced very severe panic attacks whenever I had to walk onto the court": Ana Ivanovic admits intense crippling battle she faced during her career

Tuesday, 21 July 2026 at 11:51

Ana Ivanovic retired very young in her career and decided to start a family with her now ex-husband Bastian Schweinsteiger but in reality there was perhaps more to it than she cared to admit at the time.

Since her divorce, Ivanovic has been seen more in public than before playing tennis again even during legends tournaments at Grand Slams. But in reality she faces a battle every time she goes onto the court which is crippling panic attacks.

The former World Number One and champion at the French Open in 2008 explained that many times she was unable to control the fear she had when she had to step onto the court. A confession that perhaps will help to understand some of why she both retired early and perhaps didn't reach her best at certain moments. She also previously admitted she froze before winning the French Open.

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She also touched upon admitting to her mother quite early on that she wanted training on her own and that she nearly stopped playing as she was in a group setting but in reality wasn't progressing.

"I told her: 'Mom, I have to tell you something. I want to train individually, but if you think there's no money for that, it's better for me to stop because you're wasting it. If I continue to train in a group, you're still paying, and I'm not progressing. It makes no sense or purpose," said Ivanovic during an appearance on Neuspjeh prvaka.

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Panic attack issues

Ivanovic then admitted the panic attacks and said that it was during the end of her career which perhaps explains why she decided to end her playing days so soon. Perhaps not mainly due to wanting to start a family.

Of course this explains certain things but also means a big what if as to what she might have been able to do if she wasn't hampered by this in her career. An open statement from Ivanovic as to why she perhaps never reached her potential fully.

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"During the last years of my career, I experienced very severe panic attacks whenever I had to walk onto the court. I never talked about it, but the panic attacks were incredibly intense.

"People would wonder what suddenly happened in the middle of a match, why my game would fall apart but the truth is that I’d be overcome by panic and simply couldn’t go on. Then I’d be overwhelmed by the fear of having to go out and play in front of people again the next day."

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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