NEW YORK (AP)—Ana Ivanovic will play in the Billie Jean King Cup in New York on March 1 as a replacement for Serena Williams.
Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion, also played in the one-night exhibition event last year at Madison Square Garden.
“I feel honored to have the opportunity to come back to New York,” Ivanovic said on a conference call from San Diego where she is preparing for next month’s Indian Wells tournament in California.
“It’s definitely an exciting city to play in,” she said. “The crowd is amazing. I remember it last year, it was exciting.”
Ivanovic was announced as a replacement last week for Serena Williams. The 12-time Grand Slam singles champion had to pull out of the event because of a left leg injury. The leg injury has also forced Williams to miss tournaments in Paris and Dubai.
Ivanovic will face Kim Clijsters in the four-player field and Svetlana Kuznetsova will play Venus Williams in the other match.
“It’s going to be a great match,” Ivanovic said of facing Clijsters, who won the U.S. Open last year after a brief retirement. “Seeing her come back to win a Grand Slam was a great achievement.”
Ivanovic recently hired Steffi Graf’s former coach, Heinz Gunthardt, to help end a slump. She said the Billie Jean King Cup is a chance to work with Gunthardt.
“It’s a great opportunity.” she said.
Ivanovic is ranked No. 26 and was knocked out in the second round of the Australian Open last month.