LONDON – Former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic blamed an injured right wrist for causing her problems during a surprising 6-2, 7-5 loss in Wimbledon’s first round against a qualifier ranked 223rd and making her Grand Slam debut.
Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion who was seeded 23rd at the All England Club, was beaten by 21-year-old Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova on Monday.
Calling the exit “disappointing,” Ivanovic said her wrist had been bothering her for two weeks. She said she plans to take time off and not play until the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. Ivanovic thinks there is “enough time” for the wrist pain “to settle down” so she can represent Serbia at the Summer Games.
Ivanovic was a 2007 semifinalist at Wimbledon but has not made it past the fourth round since then, including second-round exits in 2013 and last year.