LONDON: Donna Vekic persevered to win the biggest match of her career.
The 28-year-old Croatian, slowed in recent years by injuries, reached her first Grand Slam semifinal in her 43rd appearance at a major tournament by beating qualifier Lulu Sun 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
“I felt like I was dying out there, the first two sets. But I just kept going, hoping to have a chance and it came in the end,” Vekic said in an on-court interview.
Vekic becomes the second woman representing Croatia to reach the last four at the All England Club, after Mirjana Lucic in 1999.
The 23-year-old Sun, who played college tennis at the University of Texas, was making her debut at the grass-court tournament and is the first player from New Zealand to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals in the Open era.
“It was a really tough match, she played unbelievable,” said Vekic, who had knee surgery in 2021. “She really pushed me to my limits.”
She will next play either No. 7 Jasmine Paolini or No. 19 Emma Navarro.
Serving for the second set at 5-3, Vekic committed five double-faults to help Sun break, but Vekic broke right back to force a deciding set, which the veteran player dominated.
On Center Court, No. 1 Jannik Sinner was playing No. 5 Daniil Medvedev in a rematch of the Australian Open final, which Sinner won in five sets for his first Grand Slam title.
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He has 16 career ATP titles although the last came in Geneva in 2017.
Wawrinka reached a high of third in the world in 2014, but he has struggled with injuries in past years and is now ranked 157th.
His 582 tour-level wins are fourth most among active players, just behind Gael Monfils, who also plans to retire at the end of next year.
Wawrinka won Olympic gold in doubles alongside Federer at Beijing in 2008 and helped deliver a first Davis Cup triumph for Switzerland in 2014.
He is due to begin his final season in Perth at the United Cup, which starts on January 2.
Donna Vekic reaches first Grand Slam semifinal in comeback win over Lulu Sun at Wimbledon
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Donna Vekic reaches first Grand Slam semifinal in comeback win over Lulu Sun at Wimbledon
- “I felt like I was dying out there, the first two sets. But I just kept going, hoping to have a chance and it came in the end,” Vekic said
- Vekic becomes the second woman representing Croatia to reach the last four at the All England Club
Three-time Grand Slam winner Wawrinka to retire in 2026
- “It’s time to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player. 2026 will be my last year on tour,” Wawrinka posted Friday
- His 582 tour-level wins are fourth most among active players
PARIS: Stan Wawrinka says the 2026 season will be his last as the three-time Grand Slam singles champion aims to finish his career “on the best note possible.”
“Every book needs an ending. It’s time to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player. 2026 will be my last year on tour,” Wawrinka posted Friday on social media.
Wawrinka, who turns 41 in March, won the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open a year later and the US Open in 2016, at a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were dominating men’s tennis.
He has 16 career ATP titles although the last came in Geneva in 2017.
Wawrinka reached a high of third in the world in 2014, but he has struggled with injuries in past years and is now ranked 157th.
His 582 tour-level wins are fourth most among active players, just behind Gael Monfils, who also plans to retire at the end of next year.
Wawrinka won Olympic gold in doubles alongside Federer at Beijing in 2008 and helped deliver a first Davis Cup triumph for Switzerland in 2014.
He is due to begin his final season in Perth at the United Cup, which starts on January 2.
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