LJUBLJANA/STARNBERG, December 17, 2024
Tennis Slovenia organized the traditional end-of-year event “Tennis Player of the Year” in Ljubljana. At the ceremony, held at the Crystal Palace Hotel, Veronika Erjavec and Bor Artnak were announced as the best Slovenian tennis players of 2024.
Erjavec began the year ranked World No. 194 and is currently sitting at World No. 166. This is one position lower than her career-high ranking achieved a few weeks ago. During this season, she competed in all four Grand Slam tournaments, played in both matches for the Slovenian women’s team in the BJK Cup, and performed successfully in tournaments around the world. An important highlight was her victory at the ITF World Tennis Tour tournament in Koper, but even more notable was her performance in the final of the WTA 125 tournament in Cali in November. At the same tournament, she secured one of her two doubles titles this year, where she is currently ranked 125th.
“In this year, I experienced so many new things. I saw and learned a lot. I participated in all four of the biggest tournaments and witnessed the highest level of world tennis. It makes you see where you are putting your effort and hard work, and you realize it was worth it. This last tournament and the WTA final in Colombia were something special—truly a beautiful end to the year. At the start of my career, I struggled with many injuries, so I reached this level later than others. But this can also send a message to younger players: it is possible if you persist. You must not give up too soon. The next step for me would be reaching the Top 100 and playing in the main draws of Grand Slam tournaments. I hope I can achieve that. I would also like to thank my coach, Sašo Pistotnik, who always believed in our journey. Next week I’m heading to Australia, where I will first play at a tournament in Canberra, and then the qualifying of the Australian Open awaits me,” said the 24-year-old Erjavec.
Artnak also won an ITF World Tennis Tour tournament in Slovenia, triumphing in his hometown of Litija. He also played an important role for the Slovenian Davis Cup team. He is currently ranked 420th in the ATP rankings, and in September, he achieved a career-high ranking of 373rd.
“There were many ups and downs in 2024. I gained valuable experience, which every athlete needs on their journey. Winning the tournament in Slovenia was my goal for three years, and achieving it was the highlight of my year. I need to keep training hard and give my all at every practice. Next year, I will play in the United States again because the conditions there are better than at home. I will compete in tournaments and play for Arizona State University. Of course, at the beginning of the year, I will play for the national team, and then in May, I will return to Europe to play more tournaments,” said Artnak.
