Donna Vekic and probably her team expected much from her career. In 2012, at the age of fifteen, Vekic made her first WTA final appearance. Many of you may remember she won her first career title at the age seventeen in 2014. However, things have not progressed as expected. The Croatian has played twelve finals and only won four career singles titles. The problem looking in from the outside appears to be poor shot decisions and inconsistency with her stroke production. In other words, she lacks consistent focus and clarity of purpose; however, it may simply be that she does not handle pressure well.
Has Injury Derailed Her Career?
Vekic got to a career high of nineteen in 2019 and much was expected of the Croat. However, we have expectations and life has other things in mind. She had right knee surgery in 2021. Donna Vekic has also suffered a torn plantar fascia, knee, and foot injuries in 2022. Things looked promising when she won the Monterrey title in 2023; however, she has just not been consistent, which seems to be a consistent theme of her career. Can we blame injury for the Croatian not living up to her potential? We can, but injury is not the cause of her underperformance.
Embed from Getty ImagesDonna Vekic’s 2024 Performance
The Croatian has one quarterfinal and semifinal showing in 2024. She has played in thirteen tournaments to date and the majority have been early rounds defeat. It is always tough to say what motivates a player. Vekic professes to be an extremely competitive person. Thus, the question must be asked, “Why are her results not more impressive?” Consistent success in tennis requires more than tennis IQ.
Embed from Getty ImagesTop 100 ATP & WTA Ranking Changes
| ATP | RANKING CHANGES | CURRENT RANK |
| David Goffin (BEL) | UP 27 | 82 |
| Rinky Hijikata (AUS) | UP 23 | 75 |
| Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) | UP 14 | 100 |
| James Duckworth (AUS) | UP 10 | 78 |
| WTA | RANKING CHANGES | CURRENT RANK |
| Ashlyn Krueger (USA) | DOWN 17 | 87 |
| Anna Bondar (HUN) | UP 13 | 93 |
| Donna Vekic (CRO) | DOWN 10 | 49 |
ATP & WTA Top Ten Ranking Changes
ATP: there were several positional changes in the top ten. Hubert Hurkacz and Alex de Minaur traded places to #7 and #9, respectively. Djokovic and Alcaraz also traded places. The top four players are currently: [1] Jannik Sinner; [2] Novak Djokovic; [3] Carlos Alcaraz; and [4] Alexander Zverev.
Embed from Getty ImagesWTA: there were no changes in the top ten. The current top four players are still: [1] Iga Swatek; [2] Coco Gauff; [3] Aryna Sabalenka; and [4] Elena Rybakina.
SOURCE OF IMAGES: Getty Images
