BELGRADE/STARNBERG, May 24, 2021
Local favourite Marko Topo is the youngest player in the singles draw of the Belgrade Open. In his ATP Tour debut, the 17-year-old wild card entry lost his first-round match to Federico Coria of Argentina 6-4, 2-6, 0-6 on Sunday afternoon at the Novak Tennis Center. Afterwards, Topo stated that he played well in the first set, but not later in the match.
“This is my first ATP Tour experience. It’s amazing that I am here, that I am playing with great players, with Federico. In the first set, I played well, had control, served well, I was in the leading position on the court. In the second set, I felt a loss of energy, I had back pain, maybe I had been thinking too much, and my game weakened. He played solidly until the end and ultimately won,” Topo told journalists during his virtual press conference.
Intently watching Serbia’s generation next 😧@DjokerNole in the house for Topo-Coria at #BelgradeOpen. pic.twitter.com/Ux6zkrMLCL
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 23, 2021
Topo has recently been training at the Novak Tennis Center. He emphasized that the opportunity to practice in Belgrade is an incredible thing and so is the opportunity to train with Novak Djokovic. “He is my idol, he is our greatest athlete and I feel proud. He congratulated me after the match, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to be here through a wild card.”
Topo was born in Munich, Germany and started playing tennis at the age of six. He decided to play for Serbia because he felt that Serbia was his home. Two weeks ago, he began his practice sessions at the Novak Tennis Center with his coach Boris Bosnjakovic.
“When I started playing, Novak was the best athlete in our country, he did a lot for our sport, it is incredible that he has been at the top of tennis for 12 years now. I am grateful to have the opportunity to talk to him and train at his center,” said Topo, who reached the quarterfinals of an ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt last year and is currently ranked World No. 1,513.
He said that his game is based on attack and an aggressive play. Topo considers his forehand and his serve as his best shot, but he is also aware of the fact that he has a still a lot of things to improve.
Regarding plans for the future, the teenager said that he hopes to play professional tournaments soon.
“The next tournament for me is the Junior competition at Roland Garros. I am looking forward to playing the Junior Grand Slams and combining them with ITF Pro Circuit tournaments and Challengers. Every tennis player’s dream is to be No. 1 and that is my goal,” concluded Topo.
