WASHINGTON, December 16, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)
During a recent episode of The Tennis Podcast, World No. 19 Donna Vekic of Croatia was asked by one of her coaches, Hall of Famer Pam Shriver, to describe her favorite memory of the 2024 season.
“Maybe the week we spent training at your court between Indian Wells and Miami?” Vekic quipped. It drew a hearty laugh from Shriver, who lives in Los Angeles and has been working with the 28-year-old Croatian for the past year.
“All jokes aside, it’s got to be winning the silver medal at the Olympics. It’s been a great year,” Vekic added.
“Wimbledon semifinals was a little bit heartbreaking, but the medal helped me recover from that.”
Between winning the Olympic silver and making her first Grand Slam semi-final, 2024 definitely was Donna Vekic’s year.#J48BestOf2024 pic.twitter.com/24KqMEPQm1
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) December 12, 2024
After putting herself in contention to win her first major by reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, then playing in the Gold Medal match (where she lost 6-2, 6-3 to China’s Zheng Qinwen), Vekic looks ahead to more good fortunes in 2025.
“It’s given me a lot of motivation and belief that I can get far in the majors,” said Vekic, who compiled a 32-20 record in 2024. “Maybe win one. Everyone is playing really good tennis, and it shows you that you have to be at your best and the fittest that you can be if you want to have a chance.”
Donna Vekic has added Sascha Bajin to her team for the 2025 season.
Could be a great pairing. pic.twitter.com/pWTCnIZzYi
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) December 6, 2024
Earlier this month, Vekic made news by adding veteran coach Sasha Bajin to her team. He is best known as the former hitting partner of Serena Williams as well as for coaching Naomi Osaka to two Grand Slam titles. He won the inaugural WTA Coach of the Year award in 2018. He spent the 2024 season coaching Alycia Parks and has also coached Kristina Mladenovic, Karolina Pliskova and Dayana Yastremska.
Naef finishes 2024 season strong
Celine Naef of Switzerland, ranked 135th, who lost to 90th-ranked fellow Swiss Vikotrija Golubic in the final of the WTA 125 event in Limoges, France on Sunday, 7-5, 6-4, came into the title match having won 15 of her previous 18 matches. After reaching back-to-back semifinals in Poitiers and Nantes, France on the ITF World Tennis Tour this fall, the 19-year-old Naef defeated Oceane Dodin of France to win her first ITF 60K title of the year in Petange, Luxembourg.
DEMI-FINALE
Celine Naef s’impose contre Elsa Jacquemot et file en finale de cette 10ème édition de l’Open BLS de Limoges ! #OpenBLSdeLimoges #WTA #WTA125 pic.twitter.com/OYnk4r8j3C
— Open BLS de Limoges (@OpenWTALimoges) December 14, 2024
By the numbers
Naomi Osaka, who finished the 2024 season ranked 58th, was the biggest ranking mover during the 2024 season. She began the year unranked after returning to the WTA Tour from maternity leave. The 27-year-old Osaka finished with a 22-18 win-loss record.
1 – Naomi Osaka currently ranked 58 in the WTA is the biggest ranking mover during the 2024 season, she was unranked at the start of the season. Comeback. @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/k3izQFr3qw
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) December 9, 2024
“Quotable …”
“Delighted to see our dear friend Françoise “Frankie” Dürr honored with the Legion of Honor by President Macron. … So proud of this well-deserved recognition! Congratulations, Frankie!”
– Hall of Famer Billie Jean King, writing on X, in honor of of the former French great Françoise Dürr.
Delighted to see our dear friend Françoise “Frankie” Dürr honored with the Legion of Honor by President Macron.
Francoise was the first secretary and a founding member of the @WTA, she played on the Virginia Slims Tour and competed in World TeamTennis, and she won the French in… pic.twitter.com/f9N0srEhTI
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) December 9, 2024
