No love lost in the big tennis fall-out between Jankovic and Ivanovic

By Malcolm Folley Updated: 13:36 EST, 8 May 2010

When Jelena Jankovic faces Ana Ivanovic in the Madrid Open on Tuesday, far more will be at stake than simply a place in the later rounds of the tournament.

For former Wimbledon champion Jankovic admits that she is barely on speaking terms with Ivanovic, Serbia's other glamorous tennis star on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, after the latter's no-show at the vital Federation Cup relegation tie against Slovakia.

While Jankovic endured a miserable 48-hour journey from the United States to Belgrade rather than let Serbia play the crucial tie without her, Ivanovic was photographed taking coffee near her home in Majorca with her boyfriend, Australian golfer Adam Scott, when she could have been helping to prevent their country falling out of the world group of women's tennis.

Jankovic's mother, Snezana, who frequently travels the world with her daughter, revealed the depth of their hurt following Slovakia's 3-2 victory by attacking Ivanovic, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2007, in the Serb media.

'Jelena missed only one match for Serbia in 10 years,' said Snezana. 'This time she flew 48 hours across the world to play, despite a serious injury. At the same time, somebody else had coffee somewhere while my child played, hurting for her country.'

Ivanovic's defeat by Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez prevented her from playing Jankovic in the final of the Internazional BNL D'Italia tournament in Rome yesterday, but fate has decreed the two women must play one another in Spain on Tuesday.

'I just have to play tennis with whoever is on the other side of the net,' said Jankovic. Yet last week she admitted that she was 'disappointed' by Ivanovic's no-show.

'In Federation Cup, you don't play for [ranking] points or money, you are just playing for your incountry, for the love of the people,' said Jankovic.

'It would have been nice even if Ana had just been sitting on the bench and supporting the team, even if she felt she could not play. If we play with the strongest team, we can beat the best. That is why it is disappointing Ana was not there. But it's her choice.'

Asked what their relationship was like, Jankovic said: 'We talk when we see each other but we're not best friends.'

Her 48-hour journey took Jankovic from Florida to Tel Aviv where, after a seven-hour stop, she travelled to Cyprus before finally arriving in Belgrade. 'I felt like a zombie,' she said.

'I'd had no sleep, my left wrist was swollen and I hadn't hit a ball for a week. But I am a patriot.'

Jankovic is remembered in Britain as the woman who was courted by a flirtatious Jamie Murray as they won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon three summers ago.

Yet while Murray has been trekking through the lower reaches of the game, Jankovic's life has never been more fulfilled - on the court or off it.

In Rome, she shared a blissful couple of days last weekend with her Serb boyfriend before beating Venus and Serena Williams in the space of 24 hours then yesterday losing her latest final on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour to Martinez Sanchez 7-6, 7-5.

At 25, she has a mature perspective on the life she has chosen.

She has viewed the tennis world from the summit of the game, ending 2008 as No 1, but then had to deal with a loss of form that she blames, in part, to compromising her speed and movement on the court by putting on almost 10kg of muscle.

'I used to get down on myself, but not any more,' she said. 'There are so many more important things in life than losing a tennis match. People are dying, starving or homeless and I am crying because I lost? That's not right.

'It can be lonely on the Tour. I talk to the others but my real friends are not tennis players. You always have high expectations, especially once you have been to the top.

'But, if you think about it, you realise that this is a dream life. You're making lots of money, you have seen the world and you are getting applauded by people who have paid to watch you play. If you lose a match, as long as you did what you are supposed to do and fought 100 per cent, I cannot cry about it.'

In March, Jankovic, currently No 7 in the world, won in Indian Wells, California, capturing a tournament ranked in the tier below the majors.

Shortly, she will make her home in California, complete with a 10-car garage to accommodate her impressive collection of Porsches.

'I am proud of what I have, and I know how much hard work was involved,' she said. 'Nothing fell from the sky. But I am not a material girl, It's good to have a nice home and cars, but once you get them you realise these are not the things that make you most happy. It's your spirit, your family and friends.' Her game is falling into place, she feels.

'I have my hunger back. You have to go down in order to go up again. You can't always be a winner, and I am talking about life in general.'

And in Belgrade, her patriotism will not pass unnoticed when she takes the court against Ivanovic in Madrid.