Why Ana Ivanovic Never Wears Makeup On the Court—Really

On a particularly humid Thursday afternoon, in Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club’s airy bubble of a tennis court, Ana Ivanovic is patiently lobbing balls over the net at my person. “Your short game is good!” she offers, kindly—though it goes without saying that my skills don’t compare to the powerful forehand of the world-ranked tennis star.

Ivanovic is in town for the U.S. Open but has taken time out of her whirlwind schedule to, rather charitably, provide a few one-on-one tips—like how to guide a racket across the net at just the right spin-inducing angle, for one—and discuss her own tournament prep. “I was pushing harder at the beginning of the week with two hours of training, plus fitness and recovery,” she says of her daily 8:00 a.m. court sessions and isometric core work. “But as we get closer to the tournament, the [tennis] hours are less, and I do a lot in the gym and off-court.”

There’s also a newfound love of yoga, picked up a few months back and practiced 15 to 30 minutes each morning with the portable Yoga Studio app. “I’m still a beginner, so I like to take my time with it,” she says. “I’m not very flexible, so it helps me to improve that.” Then, at the end of each session comes five to 10 minutes of meditation to ease the competitive pressure—similar to the pre-match visualization she’s done for years—which provides the uncanny side effect of a well-rested glow.

To maintain that surreally good skin, Ivanovic credits her beloved Shiseido WetForce sun cream, smeared vigorously before every match. “When I was in Australia, they advised us to also apply it on our ears and neck because that’s where the skin is thinnest,” she says. “You can’t forget that!” The rest of her on-court beauty essentials include Tresemmé hair spray to tame flyaways and keep her mane “sleek and back,” a touch of Oribe moisturizing cream on the ends of her signature braided ponytail for shine—and that’s it.

As for her no-makeup-on-court philosophy, “I actually don’t [wear any],” she swears with a laugh. “I like to focus on my tennis; I don’t want to worry that my mascara is running.” Instead, she has zeroed in on a skin-care routine that makes cosmetic camouflage unnecessary in the form of Shiseido’s Ibuki cleanser, mixed with a bit of exfoliator and topped with a hydrating, energizing cream. “It’s very simple,” she says. “I always say I’m very lucky to get good genes from my mom.” Here’s to one beauty secret that’s truly au naturel.

 

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