Donna Vekic Bio
Donna Vekic is a Croatian professional tennis player who has built a steady career on the WTA Tour since turning professional in 2012. Born on June 28, 1996, in Osijek, Croatia, she achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 17 on January 27, 2025. Her best result at a Grand Slam came at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where she reached the semifinals and became the first Croatian woman to do so at the All England Club since 1999.
Beyond her Grand Slam breakthrough, Vekic is an Olympic silver medalist, finishing as runner-up in singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She has won multiple WTA Tour titles and is recognized as one of the leading figures in Croatian women’s tennis. Standing 1.79 m tall and playing right-handed with a two-handed backhand, she is coached by Biljana Veselinovic and is based in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Early Life and Background
Donna Vekic was born in Osijek, Croatia, to father Igor and mother Brankica. Her father, Igor, was a goalkeeper for NK Osijek, giving the family a deep connection to Croatian sport. Vekic has a brother, Bruno, and grew up in a household where athletics was part of everyday life.
She first picked up a tennis racket at the age of six and quickly developed a passion for the sport. By the time she was nine, her talent had taken her to the IMG Academy in the United States, a renowned training ground for young athletes. That early move into professional-level coaching set the stage for her rapid rise through the junior ranks and her eventual transition to the WTA Tour.
Path to Tennis
Vekic began competing on the ITF Circuit as a teenager, collecting multiple titles and gaining experience against older opponents. Her development on the international stage prepared her for her first WTA Tour final at the 2012 Tashkent Open, where at just 16 years old she became the youngest player in six years to reach a WTA final. She was a member of the Croatia Fed Cup team from an early stage, helping her country to a 2–0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in February 2012.
By 2013, Vekic had broken into the top 100, ending the season ranked No. 86. That same year she also won an ITF event in Istanbul, further proving her consistency. Her progression through the ITF Circuit and WTA qualifying draws built the foundation for a smooth transition to full-time WTA Tour competition.
Donna Vekic Career
Early Career (2012–2014)
Vekic made her first WTA Tour final at the 2012 Tashkent Open, where she was defeated by Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets. The following year she reached the main draw of the Australian Open for the first time and produced strong results in Miami and Monterrey. Her first top-100 season finish came at No. 86 in 2013.
In 2014, Vekic captured her maiden WTA Tour title at the Malaysian Open, defeating top seed Dominika Cibulkova in the final. She also upset 28th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Miami Open and recorded wins over Garbiñe Muguruza at the Monterrey Open. Those results established her as a rising player to watch on tour.
WTA Tour Breakthrough (2017–2019)
Vekic won her second WTA Tour title at the 2017 Nottingham Open, defeating Johanna Konta in three sets. That summer she broke into the top 50 for the first time and reached a career-high ranking of No. 45 in September 2017. At the US Open, she made the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2015.
In 2018, Vekic advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon, upset world No. 4 Sloane Stephens in the first round, and reached the final at the Washington Open. She ended the season ranked No. 34. The following year she reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2019 US Open, became the first Croatian woman to make the last eight there since 2016, and finished the year ranked No. 19, her first year-end top 20 finish.
Grand Slam and Olympic Era (2023–2024)
Vekic won her fourth career title at the 2023 Monterrey Open, defeating top seed Caroline Garcia in three sets, and reached the quarterfinals at the 2023 Australian Open. She also partnered Croatia to victory at the 2023 Hopman Cup. In 2024, she made the semifinals at Wimbledon, the longest women’s singles semifinal in the tournament’s history, losing to Jasmine Paolini.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Vekic defeated second seed Coco Gauff and 12th seed Marta Kostyuk before beating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the semifinals. She then lost the gold medal match to Zheng Qinwen in straight sets, earning the Olympic silver medal. Later in the year she announced the hiring of Sascha Bajin as her new coach.
2025 Season and Beyond
Vekic opened the 2025 season by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, where she fell to 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. As the 19th seed at Indian Wells, she made it to the fourth round before losing to fifth seed Madison Keys. She repeated that result at the Madrid Open in April, again exiting in the fourth round to Keys.
In June 2025, Vekic parted ways with coach Pam Shriver, and shortly after split with Sascha Bajin, who began coaching Diana Shnaider in August 2025. Seeded third at the Chennai Open in October, she reached her first quarterfinal since the 2024 Paris Olympics before losing to seventh seed Kimberly Birrell. By the end of 2025 she was working to re-establish her rhythm on tour.
Driving Style and Strengths
Vekic plays an aggressive baseline game built on a powerful serve and a reliable two-handed backhand. Her height of 1.79 m helps her generate pace and reach high-bouncing balls comfortably, which has served her well on hard courts and grass. Throughout her career she has thrived on faster surfaces, where her first-strike tennis allows her to control rallies and dictate points from the back of the court.
Notable Events and Milestones
Vekic’s most significant milestone came at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where she became the first Croatian woman to reach the semifinals at the All England Club since 1999. Her Olympic silver medal at the 2024 Paris Games was another landmark, as she became the first Croatian woman to reach the medal stage in tennis at the Olympics. She also won the Hopman Cup with Croatia in 2023.
Donna Vekic Career Wins
Donna Vekic has compiled a strong resume of titles across the WTA Tour and the ITF Circuit. She has lifted five WTA Tour singles trophies and additional ITF titles, with breakthroughs at events such as the Malaysian Open, Nottingham Open, Courmayeur Ladies Open, and Monterrey Open. Her career prize money totals more than US $10.8 million, a reflection of her long-standing presence near the top of the game.
WTA Tour Highlights
Vekic’s first WTA Tour title came at the 2014 Malaysian Open, where she defeated top seed Dominika Cibulkova. She added her second title at the 2017 Nottingham Open, beating Johanna Konta in the final. In 2021, she won the Courmayeur Ladies Open, returning to the top 70 in the rankings. Her fourth WTA title came at the 2023 Monterrey Open with a three-set win over Caroline Garcia, and in 2026 she won her maiden WTA 500 title at the Queen’s Club Championships, becoming the first lucky loser in the Open Era to win a tournament above a WTA 250.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her WTA Tour titles, Vekic has won multiple ITF Circuit singles titles, including her fifth in late 2016. She reached the final of the WTA 500 San Diego Open in 2022 as a qualifier, defeating four straight top-25 opponents before falling to Iga Swiatek. She also represented Croatia at the Billie Jean King Cup, compiling a 16–8 record in team competition, and won the Hopman Cup in 2023.
Donna Vekic Family
Family Background and Tennis Lineage
Vekic was born in Osijek to Igor, a former goalkeeper for NK Osijek, and Brankica. She has a brother, Bruno. The family’s deep ties to Croatian sport helped shape her early interest in athletics and gave her strong support as she pursued a professional tennis career from a young age.
Personal Life
Vekic is currently in a relationship, with her partner noted as Stan Wawrinka. Earlier in her career, she was in a relationship with Stan Wawrinka from 2015 to 2019. In 2021, she founded DNNA, a luxury home fragrance brand selling beeswax candles and reed diffusers, with a portion of sales going toward bee conservation in Croatia. Between 2021 and 2024, she funded the construction of three public tennis courts in Osijek modeled after Grand Slam venues. She lives in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a year of transition for Vekic. She reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and matched that result at both Indian Wells and the Madrid Open, where she twice lost to fifth seed Madison Keys. Her form on hard courts remained competitive, though she was unable to push into the later rounds of the biggest events.
Off the court, she parted ways with coach Pam Shriver in June 2025 and later with Sascha Bajin, who moved on to coach Diana Shnaider. Despite those changes, Vekic showed resilience by reaching her first quarterfinal since the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Chennai Open in October 2025. She finished the year focused on rebuilding momentum and preparing for a strong 2026 campaign.
