Wimbledon Semifinalist Donna Vekic: “I always have a heartbreaker in the grass”

It was one of these Wimbledon games that took their breath away. The emotional peaks and hollows of the sport at elite level played in front of an enthusiastic center of court audience on a bright afternoon in July. Also a record set: after two hours and 51 minutes, the longest semi-finals in the All England Club in the 147-year history of the women’s individual competition.

But for Donna Vekic, her agonizing defeat against Jasmine Paolini is not a competition last year that she wants to experience again. Especially now before another inclination in SW19.

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“It was very heartbreaking,” says Vekic The independentAlmost 12 months after this loss in a final base. The tears are still fresh in the memory.

“I still haven’t seen the highlights or looked at the match again. It was not easy. I feel like every Grashof season, I always have a heartbreaker [in Paris] Were immediately afterwards … because I didn’t have time to cry too much. “

Vekics trip to the last four in Wimbledon last year, in which they won four out of five games in three sets, before she finally reached a cropper for the Italian Paolini, was a career best on the largest stage in sport in her 42nd Grand Slam. In view of her stubborn earth strikes with low wearing, it may have been not surprising that she put a run together on the grass.

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But what was a surprise – no longer for Vekic itself – her meritorious answer to the slower, harder clay dishes from Paris, a few weeks later. Her mood, which was not subdued, defeated the proud Kroat in the third round the second seed Coco Gais (who won the French Open at the beginning of this month) before fought over the width of a hair with two triumph of the end strip against the semi-finals.

Vekic guaranteed a medal with a semi -finals by the Slovak player Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in half time before fell in the final on China’s Qinwen Zheng.

“Wining a medal for her country is so hard,” she now reflects in the proudest moment of her career. “It was an incredible experience that could only win a slam.”

Vekic even acknowledges that she believed in Paris that her best chance of a medal in the mixed doubles would come, which she didn’t even play in the end. Apart from that, the uniqueness of the Olympic environment acted as a natural source of rejuvenation.

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“I was in the Olympic village and only hung around with athletes from various sports,” brings her energy level, “she adds.” I definitely surprised myself, especially on Clay, which has never been my friend. But it was always a big goal to win a medal. “

It was the wealthiest season of a career in 2024, which, although it was still for two years of 30 years, took 14 years. In itself, this is a performance that should not be overlooked.

Vekic dived at the age of 16 when she opened the finale of the WTA-Level-Taschkent-Taschkent-Zaskent in 2012. The following year the British press compared it to Maria Sharapova, who won Wimbledon at the age of 17 in 2004.

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It is not a simple environment to have come into the world of professional tennis as a teenager. Many teenagers stars, before they have their greatest achievements in their formative years, mainly attributed to natural fearlessness on the farm.

But Vekic, who wears her heart on the sleeve week after week, admits that she never feels such a non -orientation.

“I’ve always been the same,” she says when she got used to “suitcase trips” for the first time, as she puts it.

“My feelings can get the best in me on the farm, but sometimes my worst. But I like to have dynamics and trust in my recordings is the most important thing for my tennis.

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“I had a surprise element [at the start of her career] Because nobody knows your game. But as soon as people get to know you, you have to start the grinding! “

Vekic’s career has rarely fluctuated in the decades for around the decade: Last year, a career high ranking was reached after the Wimbledon, while in the ranking it has not dropped under the top 75. Maybe she may be inevitably, given the rigor of life on the tour, and called it to end it. Even last summer actually just before Wimbledon.

“I thought about it, but I didn’t want to miss the Olympic Games,” she recalls. “It was always mentally difficult for me. It always challenged me and on all the trips I am pretty tired.

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“I wanted to do and play really well even this year. I had great expectations, but it didn’t work so far. But it didn’t affect me as much as last year, that’s sure.”

And so back to Wimbledon. Pam Shriver, the 22-time Grand Slam winner double player, tennis broadcaster and teen talent itself, was part of Vekic’s team as a consultant since 2022. She described the Americans as a “family”, but last week Shriver resigned from her role. There is no bad blood, but it is undoubtedly a blow to the Croat.

Nevertheless, it is not in Vekics Nature – both on and outside of the square – to Wilt. Task, per seis not an option and in the southwest of London her ambitious, underlying gate on July 12th the Venus Rosewater Court remains.

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“Many things have to happen to win a slam,” she says a week after she lost in the first round of Queen’s. “I hope I can increase my level. My goal is to win Wimbledon.

“I feel good there. So far I have given my absolute everything in my career. I would like to be known for never giving up and I have never given up.

“I want this to be the case until the end of my career. If I should win a slam, amazing. If not, it’s okay, I still have a maternity house.”