Ana Ivanovic appoints new coach Dejan Petrovic

Ana Ivanovic has hired former ATP pro Dejan Petrovic as her new coach. The former No. 1 split with her coach of one-year Nemanja Kontic after Wimbledon.

Ana Ivanovic has hired former ATP pro Dejan Petrovic as her new coach. The former No. 1 split with her coach of one-year Nemanja Kontic after Wimbledon. 

Ivanovic will be the third Serbian No. 1 Petrovic has coached. The 36-year-old, who owns his own academy in Serbia, served as Novak Djokovic's first touring coach in 2004 and worked with Jelena Jankovic a year later. Petrovic was the No. 1 Australian junior before moving back to Serbia and taking his citizenship in 2003. He reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 157 and played for Serbia and Montenegro in the Davis Cup, partnering with NenadZimonjic in doubles. 

That Ivanovic has again hired a lower-profile Serbian coach in Petrovic is no surprise. After a string of high-profile coaching partnerships that ultimately failed, Ivanovic's decision to hire the lesser-known Kontic last year led to a career resurgence. She won three titles during their 12-month partnership and now, ranked No. 11, she is on the verge of getting back into the top ten for the first time since 2009. Their partnership was successful in large part, Ivanovic said, because of their shared Serbian heritage which facilitated communication and understanding. 

Ivanovic's next tournament is the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, which begins on July 28th.