Vekic is as likeable as they come on the WTA, but the last year she’s showcased her perseverance more than anything. After an injury in early 2021 she never could get right, falling out of the Top 100 and struggling to regain her rhythm. The work never stopped though, and the Croatian trusted the process.
This San Diego Open, she emerged like a phoenix from qualifying to knock off a who’s who of the women’s tennis elite. Sakkari, Sabalenka and Collins all fell victim to Vekic. But one win meant more than the others, and that was her triumph over Karolina Pliskova that was ten years in the making. The tall Czech player had beaten her six straight times, including three in Vekic’s unfavorable 2021 campaign. As much as her form has improved, it was the mental side that propelled a reversal of fortunes.
“I had a good feeling for once. And I was like, You know what, I’m just going to believe that I can beat her this time,” Vekic said in reference to her monumental win over a person she considers a dear friend off the court. “If it goes in, it goes in. If not, we move on. And it’s been going in!”