GIRLS just wanna have fun.

But according to glamorous Ana Ivanovic, male players enjoy their tennis more because they don't carry their angst off court.



In a candid interview ahead of next month's Aussie assault, the 23-year-old said competitiveness and tension inside the women's locker room far outweighs the relaxed vibe across the hall.

Gallery: Adam Scott, Ana Ivanovic and the Presidents Cup WAGS



Ivanovic gained her vital insights into the male approach from Serb compatriot Novak Djokovic during last year's Hopman Cup.



"That was really refreshing ... getting to play alongside Novak and seeing how differently he functions," the former world No.1 said. "It was interesting to watch how much fun he had and how much he enjoyed his tennis.



"You could just tell he was going to have a great year.



"That's why we all play the game, but sometimes with the pressure and stress that gets forgotten.



"Maybe we (women) would perform much better if we could relax a little more and let it go.



"The things with men's tennis is that it's set up a bit differently and I feel it's more relaxed. They just don't seem to stress about the small things.



"That might also be a difference between guys and girls generally. Girls take everything so personally. Everything is more emotional for us."



Ivanovic nominated Romanian rival Sorana Cirstea as her best friend on tour, but wished the atmosphere was more conducive to getting to know other females better on a personal level.



"The key is trying to find a balance and men seem to do that better," she said. "I think the guys do hang out more - they spend more time together than the girls do.



"It might be hard for us to support each other because the tour can be very competitive. Maybe it's getting a bit better than when I started. The girls are a bit more relaxed, but it's still not the same as the men's side of things.



"Novak for example, he hangs out with a lot of the guys.



"It's a shame in a way. We spend so much time together on tour throughout the year. We travel and work together.



"But we don't get to know each other or spend a lot of time as people or have girls' talk about fashion or whatever."



Having ridden an emotional and injury-punctuated roller-coaster since she won the title at Roland Garros three years ago, Ivanovic is well versed in just how mentally challenging the modern game can be.



Before settling with current mentor Nigel Sears in July, she went through a coaching conga line to arrest her plummeting ranking and suffered serious doubts about her long-term form. Now steady at No.22, Ivanovic is in a much-improved frame of mind as she prepares for next month's Apia Sydney International on the back of a season-ending title in Bali.



"It was really frustrating because I was in good form, but the results weren't there," she said.



"To finish on such a high is exciting and inspirational heading into the new year.



"Sydney is always a tough tournament but it's going to be especially challenging this year with so many top players.



"You could play a grand slam quarter-finalist in the first round."

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Originally published as Girls need to lighten up: Ivanovic