Donna Vekic had a really tough time some two years ago but this year has been really good for the Croatian player.
Vekic was once a really strong player but then she started to battle injuries and for a while, it was looking like a losing battle. The Croatian dealt with a knee injury and those injuries are really tough to overcome and at one point she thought about quitting.
The lowest point of her career probably happened at the 2021 Indian Wells. In her own words, Vekic explained that the 1st round loss almost caused her to abandon tennis altogether. She wasn't playing well, her knee was hurting and everything seemed hopeless.
I think it was two years ago in Indian Wells, when Indian Wells was played in October. I lost in the first round. I had been struggling a lot. I still had pain my knee. I saw Ajla and Maria after my match and I was like I just cannot keep doing this. I cannot keep playing at this level.
Ajla Tomljanovic and Maria Sakkari were two players that reached out to her. Sakkari initiated it by calling Tomljanovic to get to the locker room because Donna 'was not in a good place'. They both showed up and encouraged Vekic to not give up because things will eventually turn around.
I was really struggling that whole period. And that match was kind of like the lowest probably I've ever been. And you guys were like no, this time next year you're going to be in a much better place. Don't give up. Your tennis will come back. We know that you have the level and that helped me a lot.
They were right. Vekic is pretty close to her best right now winning 23 matches out of 32 she played this year on the WTA Tour. A quarter-final run at the Australian Open which restored her confidence and a superb title run in Monterrey made it all worth it.
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