Like the phoenix, Jelena Jankovic has risen from the ashes.

Or, in her case, glitter.

Working through slumps is not unfamiliar territory for Jankovic. In 2006, a string of 10 consecutive losses, stretching from January to mid-May, caused the former No. 1 to consider quitting the sport at the tender age of 21. She turned her season and arguably her career around in Rome that year, and the rest is history. From 2007-10, Jankovic was a mainstay in the top 10. After reaching the final of the US Open in 2008, she ended the season as world No. 1. Her years of success were a testament to her fitness and consistency, two traits that she lacked at the start of her career.

During the seasons that followed, an perfect storm of factors wreaked havoc on her game. Injuries, loss of confidence and other questionable career choices led to a fall from grace of sorts. 2011 was her first non-top 10 season since 2006, and 2012 was her first non-top 20 season since 2005.

The downward spiral continued as Jankovic's 2013 started off meekly. She again fell victim to her countrywoman and chronic nemesis, Ana Ivanovic, in the third round of the Australian Open.  Then she suffered an injury and was unable to train for three weeks. After a tepid loss to Monica Niculescu in the first round of Doha, Jankovic hovered on the verge of dropping out of the top 30.

For a player who once thrived on the biggest stages, the vibrant personality of Jelena Jankovic was gone. Even the glitter in her hairspray sparkled less brightly. One of the game's larger-than-life personalities was reduced to just going through the motions. The years of counterpunching, relentless court covering and mentally battling had taken their toll.

It was then that Jankovic, who has built up a reputation of changing coaches on a whim, decided to shake up her team once more. This time, however, she did not need to look very far to find a new voice and a fresh perspective. She hired her older brother Marko as her coach in February, and the brother-sister tandem immediately reaped rewards at a small event in Bogota.

Jankovic struggled during the week, dropping sets to Julia Cohen and Karin Knapp, but came away with her first WTA title in nearly three years at the end of it. Following her run to the title, the former No. 1 began to rediscover some of the hallmark consistency that took her to the top of the game.

A quarterfinalist at eight tournaments this season, her highlights include semifinal showings at two Premier Mandatory tournaments in Miami and Beijing, reaching the final at the latter.  Jankovic also notched a semifinal at the Premier Five event in Cincinnati, the centerpiece of the US Open Series. She returned to the top 10 in early September, following the US Open, and qualified for the WTA Championships for the fifth time in her career after that finals appearance in Beijing.

The biggest key in Jankovic's resurgence has been a change in her attitude. At her peak, she played as many tournaments as she could in lieu of practicing because she did not enjoy the daily grind. Older and wiser in 2013, Jankovic is now enjoying her tennis again, and the results have returned for her.

Teetering on irrelevance earlier this season, Jankovic seemed several years past the peak of her potential. However, as her fitness and consistency have returned, so has her hunger. Seven of the eight players in Istanbul are making their second consecutive appearance at the WTA Championships. Jankovic is the only exception. After a two-year absence, she has returned to the WTA's Elite Eight.

Jankovic's return to relevance has been a surprise to many in 2013, perhaps even to Jelena herself.

For now, she is back in the spotlight, squaring off on Wednesday in Istanbul against world No. 2 Victoria Azarenka. Back in the spotlight, just where she likes it.