Ana Ivanovic was spotted at the Linz baller party wearing a traditional Austrian dress (Sonja - if you're out there reading this post please confirm!)
I know I'll probably get shit for this one but, honestly, there's something about Ana that's really starting to annoy me. You could probably tell the Serb to do anything and she'll do it - Ana's like some smiley raven-haired robot.
Throw some traditional garb at her and trot her around like a prized puppy, throw on another gown and stick her in a pool, throw on some horrible adidas duds and have her pose like a z-level Shrieka, throw on some trashy bikinis and pose like a porn star for some lagging lad mag, and on and on and on.
Maybe if someone told her to act like a top lady baller and win a tourney she might actually do it. Ugh.
(image via anaivanovic.com)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
PHOTO OP: Anyone else getting annoyed by Ana?
Labels: Ana Ivanovic, Linz, photo op, tennis
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On court, I'm not that fond of Ana - what with the body twirls and fists pumps. I find that kinda annoying.
ReplyDeleteOff court, it does seem that she's still in that impressionable stage of life where she "tries on" everything and see if they fit her character. There doesn't seem much of a consistent thread in her activities off court. (Or maybe, I just don't follow her that much) Methinks Ana will eventually develop a solid personality of her own - well, hopefully =D
If you got paid as much as she does to do that stuff, you'd do it too.
ReplyDeleteRich: I think you're being a little hard on Ana. Aren't these things (player party with traditional Austrian garb and the pose in the pool) part of the WTA marketing machine? And as such I don't see a problem with that. Were other players at the party dressed similarly?
ReplyDeleteBut having said that I don't understand the FHM piece and that comes from her management. It doesn't seem like something she'd do given her quiet personality. Do I fault her for that? I'm not quite sure.
I don't find her on court 'personality' annoying. I'll take the first pumps over other players grunts/shrieks and theatrics.
Rich, I understand your frustration, but in this case, it was not only Ana wearing traditional Austrian dress at Linz player party. I suppose all the players wore them, as a proof, I saw the photo of Tamira Paszek.
ReplyDeleteRich, I understand your frustration, but in this case, it was not only Ana wearing traditional Austrian dress at Linz player party. I suppose all the players wore them, as a proof, I saw the photo of Tamira Paszek.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that annoys me is how people are trying to make her into the next big thing in women's tennis. That never works. The "big things" in tennis are usually a surprise. They put too much pressure on these girls to be players and spokeswomen. Some just aren't cut out for it and I don't think Ana is. She occasionally takes a pretty picture but I find her and her tennis bland.
ReplyDelete-Lisa
Oh Rich - Your my friend so I can forgive you for dissing Ana. In all seriousness, I can easily see why people find her personality or lack thereof somewhat annoying. I think its because she is young, sheltered and generally easy going and just goes with the flow most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI think Lisa hit on it. Yes it's true I'm probably being harsh but if I think it's the whole "girl-next-door" trying to vamp it up and it all seems so forced.
ReplyDeleteMaybe her team should just let her be and see what comes out...that might actually work.
I am not usually a biased person, but Ana annoys the bejeezus out of me, but not necessarily for this particular reason. Could it be for her cheap, noisy rubber soles? Godawful on court demeanor? Or is it for her obvious attempt at feigning niceness off court, while she drips bitchiness on the inside? Frankly, I don't think she's even worth my musing. On to Verdasco...
ReplyDeleteClearly Ana is a pretty girl. But not all pretty girls can be transformed into Sharapovas of tennis. It looks forced because it is.
ReplyDeleteHer on-court attires are just like the regular lady ballers, which is ridiculous given her status in women's tour.Her off court clothes are just as bad. She's one of those girls, that even with her undeniable good looks she just can't stand out.
Poor thing, even her tennis is not looking good at the moment.
Thank you! I've always been rather unaffected by Ana and her game,but lately she's been annoying me too. Her first round match at Wimbledon saw me take a real dislike to her on-court demeanour and personality. She really is like the girl who tried too hard.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand the WTA trying to market her (and other lady ballers) like a commodity, I wish she'd employ the luxury of choice that she does wield as one of the top 10...like you'd ever see Shrieka deign to do a gown-in-pool shot.
I reckon her nice-girl act is thanks to the rave reviews she's gotten and it's starting to grate on my nerves. I wish she'd just be honest about her opinions and say what she means without dressing up like an idiot and embarrassing herself!
Funny, a couple of posts before the Williams sisters "played tennis" in gowns and high heels and it was "glamorous". Double standards?
ReplyDeletetennis observer: good point. but from my point of view, this type of marketing, because that's what it is, doesn't work on ana.
ReplyDeletethe williams sisters were pioneers in this type of marketing because they can transcend the sport, like shrieka, and brought a fashionable edge to the court - for better and for worse. the execution isn't always the best but they have the game and personalities to pull this off.
ana hasn't shown that kind of ability to transcend tennis just yet. does she have potential? of course but it hasn't evolved yet and her team seems like they're trying to force it. my argument is let it be and see what comes out.
Oh lord, I praise you for this post. I've been preaching this to all my tennis friends around me, and they just don't see it. I agree with all points in this post :D
ReplyDeleteRich, I usually like your posts.. but I think now you just opened the door for Ana haters to hate on her.. and I find that a bit cheap.
ReplyDeleteThe girl has not done anything... maybe people around her have done it for her, trying to earn money on her expense.. but do you blame them? That's business...
Ana herself is a very quiet girl, who has a stronger personality than most people think. I read here in the comments someone saying that she fakes off court niceness. And that reminded me of a piece by Peter Brodo in Tennis Magazine, regarding some of this insinuations, saying people are seeing things where there isn't any. Ana is actually a very self concious person, giggly shy (according to Bodo, who, it seems, got to spend a lot of time with her during Indian Wells and Roland Garros).
She is incredibly talented.. but needs to mature.. Maturity on and off court.. something you can't really demand of a 20 year old who has always been very much protected from the world. Give her time..
Maybe her team is forcing a little, to sell her out.. but that's hardly her fault.
Ibs
lbs: all your points are well taken. i think 2009 will be a very interesting year for her evolution.
ReplyDeletebut she's already a grand slam champ and she's been no. 1 in the world now - it's time to pull the wool from her eyes and get on with it.
maybe it is the team she has around her that needs to be shaken up. if she's been so "protected from the world" as you say, where are her parents in this decision-making? i haven't heard of any complaints so the assumption is they're okay with her team dragging her this way and that.
and to your point about "Maybe her team is forcing a little, to sell her out.. but that's hardly her fault." - that's exactly my point. she needs to start taking control of these issues and not be a "smiley, raven-haired robot" as I said in my post. ultimately it's ana out there and it's her image that will or will not suffer and she will carry the responsibility - not her "team".
she does seem like a giggly, shy girl - so let her be that way.
I have to agree with anon@5:34 on the maturity part.
ReplyDeleteFor example, Masha was trained for all those media attention, interviews, fame and photo shoots by IMG since she was 11 years old. I remember seeing a tv interview with her when she was like 15 and already had some IMG agent around her at a photo shoot who along with her entire camp guided her. Now she is 21 and has all those things down to perfection.
Ana simply needs time to get used to all this. I like to say she's kinda of in her sophomore year now after her breakthrough/freshman year 2007. So to compare her to Shrieka, we have to compare her to Shrieka 2005, who already was more experienced but still did some odd photo shoots and apart from her Wimby title, screams and legs was often more seen as a another "pretty-but-not-quite-as-hot-as-Anna Kournikova-Russian-tennis player".
So, I say give Ana time to get used to all those people who try to influence her/to make money off her. I'm sure she will find out what she wants herself, because she seems like a girl with substance even though, looking at the FHM pics, you could think otherwise.
And trust me once she's figured that out she will be right up there with Shrieka, Rena & Vee!
Ok Rich. I agree with you in some points. That's the reason I think she needs to mature. Maturity does not come at the same age for everyone. She trusts her team almost blindly, that seems obvious to me. Ana needs to get more involved in the decision making... maybe she doesn't feel secure enough and thinks that there are other people who know better. I do think that she is getting stronger and going more with her own opinions lately though. Sghe speaks out about the new rules.. she speaks out about the WTA.. I think she still needs some time, but she is moving foward.. just give her more time. Ana seems to be the type of person who needs to experience something, learn with it and about it, and then come back already dealing with it the best way.
ReplyDeleteBut anyway.. the only thing that you could say she was dragged to was the FHM photoshoot. I really can't see what's so bad about the pool shoot, there are a lot of people who take promotional pictures that has some relation with their background. Ana's swimming pool training story is probably the most repeated story in Tennis after Sharapova's and the Williams'. Those player parties always have these special outfits that most or all the players use.. and isn't that fun? To take part in the culture of the country they are in. The WTA photoshoots are in their contracts, we just have to remember all the fuss about Sharapova. Have you guys ever been a part of a photoshoot? Even Gisele Bunchen gets bossed around by the photographer.. The model is not the one choosing how she will pose.. She can definitely pose the way she wants but the photographer will be making the model pose the way he/she wants.
I've read people bashing her fashion sense on and off court. Unfortunately Ana's contract with Adidas does not make her the designer of her own clothes.. she wears whatever they have for the Edge Collection. She signed this contract way before she became a top player.. and her next one will probably be much much better. So, I don't understand the blaming her for what she uses on court. Like if she could demand something that isn't in her contract..
Then I see people criticizing her for her off court clothes. Well you can say that she does not have a good fashion sense... 100% agreed here. But people say that she lacks personality.. well she has enough personality to carry some hideous clothes, that she probably likes. It's her choice.. she does not seem to follow all the trends like a robot.
I can totally understand people who do not like her personality, or who do not like her game. She is probably very extreme both ways.. some will say she is too nice.. some will say all this niceness is impossible, she must be faking it.. some will say she is a brainless ballbasher.. Well.. everyone is entitled of their opinions..
But if she was bland, than people would not even notice the girl, and that is obvious not happening. She is getting more and more known, and I believe with time she will get more assured of her own opinions and will be able to get them out. I also think 2009 will be an interesting year.. not only for Ana's development but also about woman's tennis. There will be a lot of interesting stories for next year. Can Sharapova come back without getting injured again? Can JJ win a Slam? Can Ana mature as a player? There are plenty of stories to look out for..
ibs
100% agreed Maja.
ReplyDeleteAna was not trained for all of this. Neither was her camp. They are all grouwing together somehow. We have to remember she did not grow in America, having IMG or Octagon as managers. These people train their protegees on how to behave since they are 10 years old. When they are 20, they are totally confortable with everything and know exactly what they are doing. Ana on the other hand, is incredibly thankfull for Dan Hollzman help in her early career that she took him as a manager. She is the first and only human being he manages. He probably didnt know anything about amanging a tennis player until 3-4 years ago. Give the girl some time.. she is still learning.
Ibs
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOne last thing..
ReplyDeleteAna was supposed to use that horrible petal dress from Adidas and the orange special Barricade V. Well.. she didn't like it, and decided not to use it. So much for being bossed around like a robot.
I feel weird defending Ana that much.. I'm not even a die hard fan. But apart from the fact that she needs to mature, everything else seems way too hard on her to me.
ibs
Shrieka is only 21 for those who says Ana is young. At 20 the Williams sisters were not only winning majors but their personalities were already established and known. Not to say everyone liked them but they were known nevertherless.
ReplyDeleteAna is in the spotlight now.She is amazingly talented and she is gorgeous. I'm sure she knows that and her team definitely know that. They should have known all along a gorgeous and talented like her is gonna be fotographed a lot. They should have known she was gonna be expected to be the next glamour girl of tennis.She is 20.i don't know about y'all but that's mature in tennis.
So i really think she should shelve her pretty shy girl next door for now and take charge of decisions that concern her.
It's just tough love people.Im not hating on Ana as some pple suggested. I like her actually.(she has a long way b4 she catches up with the top tennis personalities like Vee, Rena and Shrieka)
Don't hate her cause she's BOOTYFUL
ReplyDelete'Don't hate her cause she's BOOTYFUL' - john
ReplyDeletehahahahahahahah!! XD
About the pool picture, isn't that a photoshop job?
ReplyDeleteI love Ana but I agree, she should stop doing all stupid off court stuff and concentrate on her tennis instead.
That said, I think she looks stunning in the Austrian outfit.
/Calle
I absolutely agree with the article. Ana is starting to be a non-tennis "model". Now when she's not winning, she's just trying to impress us with something...er, I mean, she always wears "cool" outfits and her appearance is killing me. Did anybody notice that she combines her Rolex watches with some elegant dresses? Yuck! What's this? Her fashion taste is surely cracking. Yeah, her hairstyle is also very "interesting". Has she ever heard of hairbrush? She looks like Samara with her face covered in hair. God, Ivanovic, stop being a "fake always smiling model" and go back to play tennis. Or you're injured with your thumb again...?
ReplyDeleteLOL Rich I'm so proud I was officially mentioned in your post! :))
ReplyDeleteIt's correct, that's a traditional Austrian dress, it's called "Dirndl". I gotta say I've never worn such a thing in my entire life (maybe because I'm from Vienna, and those dresses are mainly a country kinda thing).
As for annoying Ana: She has already annoyed me before. The fist-pumping, the pseudo it-girl image and all... You're right, it seems really forced. But that's just me.
sonja: Yay! I knew you'd be able to let us know about this traditional Austrian dress Dirndl. It does look country like you said - no traditional Austrian dresses for city ladies like you?
ReplyDeletePseudo it-girl image - that's hitting the nail on the head!!!
Thanks! ;)
ReplyDeleteActually not, strangely there's no traditional dressing in Vienna. Our city traditions are all about the food and the coffee LOL.
Wow - just like New York!
ReplyDeleteYeah kinda, only slower. ;-)
ReplyDeleteana's main appeal is that she's different from sharapova and the williamses. i don't think her niceness is just for show because i know someone personally who has seen her several times in events and has nothing but kind words to say about her. team ivanovic should just let her be ana.
ReplyDeletejoyce
What a lame attempt to hate on someone. You must be a member of twat tennis forum.
ReplyDelete"What a lame attempt to hate on someone. You must be a member of twat tennis forum."
ReplyDelete- *YAWN*
Venus and Serena are pulling it off?
ReplyDeletePlease
People are laughing at them and their fashion sense, especially Serena's.
Well, I guess someone "told Ivanovic" to win the Linz title, huh?
ReplyDeleteAs for the comparison to Maria... they shouldn't be compared at all - they have totally different personalities. Ana is sweet, shy... and on the other hand, Maria is selfconfident, witty... Maria is a blonde with a face of an angel, whereas Ana is a hot brunette... They are both great tennis players.
Btw I agree with tennis observer.
Ana
This is absolutely rediculous. First of all, everybody at the Linz party wore an Austrian dress. Same thing in Beijing. So I guess all players trout around like prized puppies. Why you're crticising her for that is beyond me. Her pool shot? Can some one explain to me what is wrong with that one? And regarding the FHM pics, as an Ana fan I wasn't thrilled about the photoshoot but the pics weren't trashy. It sounds to me that somebody is trying to create reasons to hate Ana and you really seem to be reaching big time. Posing like a porn star? Give me a break.
ReplyDeleteCan you please stop the trash talk! omg the one's that hate ana for how she looks or act are really blind with all their envy. Because people that give up time to write this kind of stuff about a person that they don't even know, only from camara, it's obvious that they haven't got any good thing to do in life.
ReplyDeletecan't you see that she is not pretending to be "nice". In fact she IS nice... im sure you haven't seen her before, cause if you have you'll see that she is purely beautiful not only in an obvious way, but also on her inside.
So please give her a break, and give your negative thoughts a break too. Maybe someday you'll realize that critizizing and disrespecting people down don't do you any good.