Donna Vekic Having almost quit tennis amid doubts over his fitness following knee surgery two years ago, the Croatian made a stunning comeback and won in Monterrey on Sunday to claim his first title since 2021.
Vekic went under the knife after the 2021 Australian Open and said at the Melbourne Park Major in January that she was struggling to regain her old form after being sidelined for months with knee issues .
He defeated the top seed to win his fourth career title in 2021 and the first since Courmier Caroline Garcia 6-4 3-6 7-5 in the final in Mexico.
Vekic said, “The beginning of the year has been great for me.
The Australian Open quarterfinalist said after reaching the San Diego final in October, she is confident of getting back to the winner’s circle sometime this year.
After defeating several top seeds in that tournament, she lost to world No. inga swotek in the final.
“If the title doesn’t come now, I believe it will come sooner. I am playing good tennis and I need to work hard and stay healthy,” said the 26-year-old Vekic.
“I’m sure I’ll keep getting good results.”
The win over world No. 5 Garcia marked the first time Vekic had beaten a top-10 player this year, and she moved up eight places to No. 23 in the world rankings.
“It was a crazy match until the end, (Garcia) playing so well, playing so deep,” Vekic said. “I was trying to win as many points as possible. It was not easy, but I am really happy to have won.”