Donna Vekic

Donna Vekic is a Croatian tennis player who made a big splash at an early age with her big serve and booming groundstrokes.

Vekic has shown a special affinity for fast courts in her career so far, and can hit anyone off the court with her punishing game. At the 2017 Wimbledon she played one of the best matches of the year, taking Johanna Konta to 10-8 in the third set before falling just short of the win.

Best finish at each of the four Grand Slams:

Australian Open: 2nd Round (2013, 2017, 2018)

French Open: 3rd Round (2015)

Wimbledon: 4th Round (2018)

US Open: 3rd Round (2017)

Highest Ranking: No. 34

Style of play

Vekic is an aggressive player who rarely holds back on her groundstrokes. She hits flat and hard off both wings, and looks to end points with as few swings of the racquet as possible.

Vekic doesn't use a lot of variations from the back of the court, but occasionally brings out the slice or the drop shot to surprise her opponents. She doesn't approach the net too frequently either, but is not entirely uncomfortable with volleying.

Strengths and weaknesses

Vekic has a big first serve, which she uses to take charge of rallies. She has a fairly consistent second serve too, and can put pressure on her opponents with its pace and depth.

Vekic's forehand is her stronger wing, and she is equally proficient hitting it crosscourt or down the line. She can also vary the spin on it effectively, although she prefers to drive it flat a lot of the times.

The Croat's backhand is consistent but not as big of a weapon as her forehand. It can fall short on occasion, which can push her on to the backfoot.

Vekic's movement is not her strongest asset, as she lacks the pure foot speed of some of her rivals. She can redirect the ball at pace when she reaches it, but a lot of the times she struggles to get her full weight behind her shots while defending.

Vekic's shot selection can also be a bit of a question mark at times. She has been guilty of pressing too much in neutral rallies, and often racks up a huge number of unforced errors.

Personal life

Vekic was born in Osijek, Croatia, but currently lives in Monte Carlo. Her father's name is Igor and mother's is Brankica.

Vekic has been coached by Torben Beltz, and considers hardcourts to be her favorite surface. However, she has had most of her early career success on grass, reaching the Wimbledon fourth round in 2018 and winning the Nottingham title in 2017.

Vekic has been in a relationship with Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka since 2015. She became the unwanted center of attention during the 2015 Montreal Masters, when Nick Kyrgios made a derogatory remark to Wawrinka on the court, suggesting that Vekic had had a physical relationship with Thanasi Kokkinakis.

That ugly incident, in which there was no fault of Vekic's whatsoever, is well and truly in the past now. The Croat is now looking ahead to a bright future on the WTA tour, and her recent results suggest she's well on her way to the top.

Social media presence:

Donna Vekic Instagram: @donnavekic

Donna Vekic Twitter: @DonnaVekic