Ajla Tomljanović Bio
Ajla Tomljanović (born 7 May 1993) is an Australian professional tennis player. Born in Zagreb, Croatia, she later switched sporting allegiance to Australia after obtaining citizenship in January 2018. She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 32 on 3 April 2023 and has competed across all four Grand Slam tournaments, earning a reputation as a determined baseline competitor. Standing 1.80 m tall, Tomljanović plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand and is currently coached by Alessandro Bega.
Early Life and Background
Ajla Tomljanović was born in Zagreb, Croatia, to a Croatian father, Ratko Tomljanović, and a Bosniak mother, Emina. Her father was a professional handball player who was a junior world champion for Yugoslavia in 1987 and won the handball European Cup in 1992 and 1993, giving Ajla an early exposure to elite-level sport. Her older sister, Hana Tomljanović, played tennis for the University of Virginia, contributing to a household steeped in competitive athletics.
Tomljanović began playing tennis at the age of six and moved to Florida at 13 to pursue higher-level training. The relocation set the foundation for her professional development and connected her with established coaching networks in the United States. In late 2014, she took up permanent residency in Brisbane to be closer to her cousin Isabella Bozicevic’s family on the Gold Coast and to begin training at the Queensland Tennis Centre, which began her formal sporting connection with Australia.
Path to Tennis
Tomljanović played her first professional ITF Circuit event in October 2008 in Mexico City, signaling her transition into the professional ranks. In 2009, she partnered with fellow Croatian Petra Martić to win her first ITF doubles title in Zagreb on 10 May 2009, and later that year captured the 2009 Australian Open girls’ doubles title with Christina McHale. She reached a combined career-high junior ranking of world No. 4 on 30 March 2009, marking her as one of the top junior prospects of her generation.
She turned professional in December 2009 and began moving through the WTA Tour ladder. Her progress was briefly interrupted when she missed most of the 2012 season due to mononucleosis, but she recovered to continue her ascent on tour. She initially represented Croatia in international competition before switching to Australia at the 2014 US Open under residency rules, eventually becoming an Australian citizen in January 2018, which allowed her to represent the country at all WTA Tour events.
Ajla Tomljanović Career
Early Career (2009–2013)
During her developmental years on the ITF Circuit, Tomljanović built her game through consistent match play across multiple countries. Her early mentors included Fernando Martínez and Rene Gomez, and she was later also coached by Ivan Cinkuš, each of whom contributed to the technical and tactical growth that supported her climb toward the top 100. She steadily accumulated wins at lower-tier events while learning to manage the demands of full-time professional tennis.
Her results during this period, including junior Grand Slam success and ITF titles, established the foundation for her breakthrough on the WTA Tour. The combination of family sporting pedigree, Florida-based training, and disciplined competition helped her transition smoothly from promising junior to competitive professional.
WTA Tour Breakthrough (2014–2015)
Tomljanović’s breakthrough came at the 2014 French Open, where she stunned third seed Agnieszka Radwańska to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time. Her run in Paris improved her ranking from No. 72 to No. 51 and confirmed her ability to compete with the tour’s elite. She ended the 2014 season ranked No. 63.
In 2015, she reached her first WTA Tour final at the Thailand Open, where she was defeated by Daniela Hantuchová. That result lifted her to a then-career-high ranking of No. 49 and demonstrated that she could sustain her level across an entire season. She closed the year ranked No. 66.
Wimbledon and US Open Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Tomljanović reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, where she was defeated by top seed and eventual champion Ashleigh Barty. The result marked her arrival as a genuine threat on the game’s biggest stages. She ended 2021 ranked No. 45.
In 2022, she followed up with another Wimbledon quarterfinal before reaching the US Open quarterfinal, defeating Serena Williams in three sets during Williams’ final professional singles match. The win over the 23-time Grand Slam champion was widely regarded as one of the most emotionally significant moments of her career. She closed 2022 at a career-high ranking of No. 33.
WTA 125 Era (2023–2024)
A knee injury kept Tomljanović out of the early part of 2023, but she returned later in the year to win her first WTA 125 title in Florianópolis in November 2023, defeating Martina Capurro Taborda in the final. She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 32 on 3 April 2023.
In 2024, after minor surgery in February to remove fibroids, she reached her first tour-level final in more than five years at the Birmingham Classic, where she fell to Yulia Putintseva. Later that season, she won her second WTA 125 title at the Hong Kong 125 Open, defeating Clara Tauson in the final. She ended 2024 ranked No. 85 after climbing 454 places in the singles ranking.
Resurgence on Tour (2025)
Given a wildcard into the 2025 Australian Open, Tomljanović defeated Ashlyn Krueger before losing in the second round to 12th seed Diana Shnaider. She reached the semifinals at the ATX Open, losing to top seed and eventual champion Jessica Pegula, and advanced to the third round of the Charleston Open before again falling to Pegula. She made the semifinals at the Morocco Open, where she retired due to illness against fellow Australian and eventual champion Maya Joint.
Three days after that semifinal, she beat Joint in the first round of the French Open before losing to fourth seed Jasmine Paolini in the next round. After a first-round exit at Wimbledon to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, she qualified for the main draw of the Ningbo Open, where she defeated fifth seed Clara Tauson and qualifier Zeynep Sönmez before losing to third seed and eventual champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tomljanović plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand and uses her 1.80 m frame to generate strong, flat ball-strike power from the baseline. Her game is built around consistent depth, court coverage, and the ability to redirect pace against higher-ranked opponents, as shown by her career victories over top-five players such as Agnieszka Radwańska, Paula Badosa, and Serena Williams. She works closely with current coach Alessandro Bega to refine her tactical approach and match preparation.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her 2014 French Open fourth-round run, 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinal, and 2022 US Open quarterfinal stand as her deepest Grand Slam results to date. The 2022 US Open victory over Serena Williams in Williams’ farewell match remains the signature moment of her career. She has also represented Australia in the Billie Jean King Cup, reaching the final in 2019 and 2022, and competed at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Ajla Tomljanović Career Wins
Across her professional career, Tomljanović has compiled a verified singles record of 438–341 and a doubles record of 80–102, with two WTA 125 titles, four ITF singles titles, and three ITF doubles titles. She has reached five WTA Tour finals without securing a title and has earned US$7,675,937 in career prize money. Her breakthrough victories include wins over top-ranked opponents at Grand Slams, Premier events, and WTA 125 tournaments.
WTA 125 Highlights
Tomljanović won her first WTA 125 title in November 2023 at Florianópolis, defeating Martina Capurro Taborda in the final. She added her second WTA 125 title in October 2024 at the Hong Kong 125 Open with a straight-sets win over Clara Tauson. Both titles marked significant milestones during her return from injury.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her WTA 125 success, Tomljanović has won four ITF singles titles and three ITF doubles titles, including her first professional title in Zagreb in 2009 alongside Petra Martić. She also claimed the 2009 Australian Open girls’ doubles title with Christina McHale, one of the highlights of her junior career. Her Grand Slam doubles results include a quarterfinal at the 2014 Australian Open.
Ajla Tomljanović Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Tomljanović comes from a strongly athletic family. Her father, Ratko Tomljanović, was a professional handball player who represented Yugoslavia and won major European titles in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Her mother, Emina, supported the family through Tomljanović’s developmental years, and her older sister, Hana, competed in college tennis at the University of Virginia.
Personal Life
Tomljanović is in a relationship and has been linked publicly to several tennis figures over the years. She dated Australian player Nick Kyrgios from 2017 to 2018, and Italian player Matteo Berrettini from 2019 until 2022. She is a close friend of fellow player Félix Auger-Aliassime, who is married to her cousin Nina Ghaibi. Away from tennis, she is a known fan of basketball and has been featured in the Netflix docuseries Break Point, which premiered on January 13, 2023.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season reflected Tomljanović’s ongoing return to competitive form on the WTA Tour. After opening with a wildcard run at the Australian Open, she reached back-to-back semifinals at the ATX Open and the Morocco Open, the latter ending in retirement against compatriot Maya Joint. She competed steadily across surfaces, including the Charleston Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon, while building match fitness and refining her tactical game under coach Alessandro Bega.
Her deep run at the Ningbo Open in October 2025, where she defeated fifth seed Clara Tauson before falling to eventual champion Elena Rybakina, underscored her competitiveness against top-tier opposition. Although she continued to chase her first WTA Tour title, her consistent appearances in the latter stages of tournaments confirmed her status as a respected and dangerous opponent. Heading into the off-season, her ranking and match sharpness positioned her well for a strong start to 2026.
