Jelena Jankovic is familiar with ranking points too, and perhaps they played a part in erasing that old JJ smile from new JJ’s face in recent times.
But yesterday in her post-match press conference, after she beat Tamira Paszek, Jankovic didn’t seem oppressed by those points - or anything else. She showed up within 10 minutes of her match and came directly from the stadium, which is a minute’s walk from the media center. Perhaps a half dozen of us sat in that small interview room, which has chairs for around 50 people, tightly packed.
We were treated to someone who, in many ways, resembled the old JJ.
Commenting on players to watch during clay season she mentioned Sam Stosur and Francesca Schiavone then said, “Justine was one of the best ones, but she doesn’t play anymore.” She laughed.
Commenting on her new green ANTA dress (whether you like the design or not, you must admit it fits her well), she said: “It’s a nice color for spring, and I have these flowers, so it’s kind of like the spring blossom. I’m blossoming.” She laughed some more.
But the most memorable part of the press conference didn’t start out funny at all.
A local journalist began, “Do you still get asked a lot of questions, I guess, about once being No. 1 and didn’t win…”
Before he could finish Jankovic exclaimed, “You still want to ask that?”
Journalist, asking, not really stating: “I’m asking, yeah.”
Jankovic, stating, not asking at all: “You still want to ask that.”
He then mentioned Caroline Wozniacki. At which point Jankovic laughed again, saying, “Well, now you can ask Wozniacki that.”
I thought he’d stop asking, but he didn’t. He asked her if she thought she (Jankovic) would win a Slam.
I thought she’d stop answering, but she didn’t. I think so, she said.
By this time Jankovic, accustomed to this line of questioning and understanding that it was not about to go away, sought allies among us. She made eye contact with a few reporters as if to ask, Is this for real? and proceeded congenially.
“I still have many years to go, and hopefully I’ll win it, but. . .it’s not the end of the world if I don’t. You know, there is many more important things in life than. . .a Grand Slam or something like that. So I will try my best.”
The words were defiant without being unpleasant. Something about the way she said them, and the whole situation really, made you notice, made you wonder what changed and where you were when it happened. Old, new, I don't know... it's JJ, and maybe that's enough.