Bulked-Up Jankovic Regrets Off-season Training
Posted on March 16, 2009Serb former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic looked to reinforce her favorite position in 2009 by adding some muscle during the off-season. During some troublesome results in January, she complained of time needed to get used to her new physique.
Now after an early-round loss at Indian Wells, she is beginning to think bulking-up was a mistake.
"In the beginning I felt really different with my body because I got a little bit of muscles and I felt heavier on the court," Jankovic said. "I was always a certain weight and my legs were always my best weapon. I always moved and I had the anticipation and I was always on the ball. Now, I just cannot do that."
The former world No. 1 lost in her opener 6-4, 6-4 to unheralded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
"I'm struggling in this moment to find my game overall and find the confidence on the court," Jankovic said. "I'm not at my level. That's the case. I'm trying to find that game and trying to come back into the form. But I'm struggling at the moment."
In a crisis of confidence, the Serb says there is not one or two things that need work -- but everything.
"Overall I think my whole game needs some adjustments and finding the rhythm and the way to construct the points and just get the timing back," Jankovic said.
"I'm one step too slow or one step too much into the shot. And then all the strokes break down and I don't have the timing and my accuracy is not there. I mean, overall everything is wrong. I need a lot of work. I wish I had a magic wand and could just fix my game and just play awesome tennis again. I would like it to be that way but sometimes it's not."
Now after an early-round loss at Indian Wells, she is beginning to think bulking-up was a mistake.
"In the beginning I felt really different with my body because I got a little bit of muscles and I felt heavier on the court," Jankovic said. "I was always a certain weight and my legs were always my best weapon. I always moved and I had the anticipation and I was always on the ball. Now, I just cannot do that."
The former world No. 1 lost in her opener 6-4, 6-4 to unheralded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
"I'm struggling in this moment to find my game overall and find the confidence on the court," Jankovic said. "I'm not at my level. That's the case. I'm trying to find that game and trying to come back into the form. But I'm struggling at the moment."
In a crisis of confidence, the Serb says there is not one or two things that need work -- but everything.
"Overall I think my whole game needs some adjustments and finding the rhythm and the way to construct the points and just get the timing back," Jankovic said.
"I'm one step too slow or one step too much into the shot. And then all the strokes break down and I don't have the timing and my accuracy is not there. I mean, overall everything is wrong. I need a lot of work. I wish I had a magic wand and could just fix my game and just play awesome tennis again. I would like it to be that way but sometimes it's not."