Overview
- Ivanovic disclosed Tuesday that she suffered very severe panic attacks in the final years of her career that left her overcome by panic when walking onto the court.
- She said those attacks caused in-match collapses and breakdowns that undermined her performance and created a persistent fear of competing in front of crowds.
- Ivanovic retired in December 2016 at age 29 after recurring wrist injuries and a fall in form, with her new account adding a mental-health dimension to the injuries and performance issues previously cited.
- Reports point to the 2014 Cincinnati semifinal against Maria Sharapova as a visible example of her distress, when she visibly faltered and required medical attention during the match.
- Coverage notes parallels with other players who left top-level tennis for anxiety-related reasons and also records a minor factual discrepancy in reports about the opponent and score of Ivanovic’s final 2016 US Open match.