"Validation doesn't come from the outside" - Ana Ivanovic counsels the next generation on handling social media criticism

Friday, 13 June 2025 at 01:45

After reaching the pinnacle of the WTA circuit during her career, retired tennis player Ana Ivanovic has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. However, the former World No.1 made a brief appearance on The Tennis Insider Club podcast to discuss her life and tennis-related achievements.

The 2008 French Open champion enjoyed a solid run on the WTA Tour, winning 15 titles and attaining the World No.1 ranking. Ivanovic would retire in 2016, ending a career that saw her rake in numerous endorsements and several accolades.

The lack of social media during her time was a good thing, admits Ivanovic

The Serbian superstar made a guest appearance on the Tennis Insider Club podcast and YouTube show, which is co-hosted by WTA player Caroline Garcia. During her session, Ivanovic spoke on her mindset as a player, and revealed she was fortunate to not have to worry about social media as much as today's players.

"This is something that I feel fortunate that when I played, social media was not that developed," began Ivanovic. "It existed, but it wasn't that much. But I must say that I never, ever read comments, even up to today. I don't have needs to do that.
"And this is something that you need to understand. If you think about the next generation, to understand that their validation doesn't come from the outside. It doesn't come from a comment of someone who is maybe sitting at home and watching tennis from a TV. So when you can switch that off and surround yourself with the right people, it helps."

Ivanovic would also delve on the topic of mental health, and give more insight into her sudden retirement at the age of 29. Below is the full video.

Arthur Ajayi

Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.

As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.

With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.

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