IVA MAJOLI of CROATIA
Highest Singles Ranking: 4 (June 1997)
Current Singles Ranking: 70
Current Doubles Ranking: 92
Career Singles Titles: 7
Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1
WINNER - 97 French Open
QUARTER FINALIST - 95,96,98 French Open; 96 Australian Open; 97 Wimbledon
1999 Win-Loss Record: 5-8
1999 Titles/Highlights: 0
THIRD ROUND - Hilton Head [I,CL]
SECOND ROUND - Paris Indoors [II,CA], Amelia Island [II,CL], Bol [IV,CL]
DOUBLES QUARTER FINALIST - Paris Indoors [II,CA] (w/ Dominique Van Roost)
Poor Iva Majoli! Poor, poor Iva Majoli! What on earth has happened to this young talented tennis player?!?! She was headed for great things in the world of tennis, but her ascension up the ranks was cut short, and instead, has drifted away in the midst of a downward spiral.
However, her circumstances are not as tragic as they may seem. She is not Capriati-esque in her descent down the rankings. Iva did not suffer from the pressures nor the burnout that Jennifer did, and was not nearly as young as the American when success struck her. In fact, it was success which brought failure for the Croatian star. She completely surprised herself and the tennis world when she won the French Open in 1997. Not that it was an unlikely feat in itself, but the manner in which she did it shocked the press, the fans and the players alike. She became the first woman to beat Martina Hingis that season, the first to beat her in 37 straight matches, and more importantly, the first to beat her as the world #1 in the final of Roland Garros.
Ever since that win, Majoli has not been the same. In fact, she has not even reached a tour final since her momentous run at Roland Garros. Indeed, she was able to reach the quarter final stage at Roland Garros the following year after her incredible run. However, she admitted that she lost motivation and lost focus following the Grand Slam victory - after all, she had achieved the goal she had set out for herself all her life and anything else was incomparable to that incredible win. At 19, it may have been rather easy for her to lose focus, but now at the "ripe" age of 21, no doubt she sees the error of her ways. It has been a tough time for her, first of all, to find the motivation to play in tour events. Because of her lack of motivation, she also lacked a lot of consistency which then led to a huge confidence crisis. Don't even mention the amount of injuries Iva has encountered over the past year, as she has played an erratic schedule, missing all three of the Grand Slams played so fat this year. And now it is that Iva Majoli, the former Grand Slam champion, finds herself at a career ebb at #72 in the world.
