100% Committed?

This, as I'm sure most readers will know, is Miss Ana Ivanovic, from a recent photoshoot for Sports Illustrated magazine. With a world ranking which has gone from 1 to 23 in just over a year, and a dismal start to the 2010 season, have we seen the best of Ms A ( in terms of tennis )?

Presumably S.I ( and plenty of other magazines ) will pay decent money for similar photoshoots. This seems like considerably easier work than spending six hours a day practising two-handed backhands. With Henin and Clijsters back on tour to up the level of competition markedly, it may be that at the age of 22, Ivanovic may head in the same direction as Anna Kournikova, with more calenders than trophies in the cabinet. Right at the top of any professional sport is a place for the determined, committed and seriously talented. Without all three of those factors in place, it becomes a slippery slope downhill.

With a regular batch of injury issues, including that serious shoulder problem, I'm guessing that Maria Sharapova ( currently ranked 16 ) may also never reach those heady heights again. It's a pity, but pro tennis is tough, and these girls have got millions in the bank and the opportunity to make millions more without having to swing a racquet.

So we need some new glamour in the sport. Kleybanova or Suarez Navarro anyone?