Overview
- Ivanović spoke on Slaven Bilić’s talkshow Wednesday and said she had very strong panic attacks when she went onto the court in the final years of her career.
- She described a 2015 sequence in which she broke a little toe days before the Australian Open, played on painkillers, then developed knee problems that led to ongoing physical pain and mental exhaustion.
- The former world No. 1 said those panic attacks stopped her performing at her best, that retiring at 29 was a hard choice she does not regret, and that she is happy with her life now.
- The public disclosure reframes her 2016 exit—previously explained mainly as injury-driven—and highlights the role of mental health in elite sport performance and career decisions.
- Ivanović’s remarks are likely to renew discussion about athlete wellbeing, including better mental-health recognition and support in professional tennis and other high-pressure sports.