By Peter Munro
- Wally Masur leaps to the defence of Nick Kyrgios
- Kyrgios delivered second sexual sledge
- Kyrgios sledges Wawrinka with 'banged your girlfriend' slur
- Kyrgios mother reveals reason for slur
- 'A disgrace': Kyrgios lambasted after saying sorry
- βKrygios fined maximum amount for sledge
Donna Vekic, the young woman behind Nick Kyrgios' on-court sledge, prides herself on her ability to come back from tough situations. That strength will be tested after she was the innocent subject of a slur by the Australian player.
The 19-year-old Croatian player, often billed as the next Maria Sharapova, is little known beyond the world of tennis. But she's suddenly in the spotlight after Kyrgios' highly-publicised comments.
The controversial Australian's tennis match against Swiss pro Stanislas Wawrinka was marred when he called out to his opponent: "Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate."
Vekic, now ranked No. 127 in the world, deserves to be better known for her sporting ability. She's a highly marketable rising star in the competitive arena of women's tennis. Her victory in the 2011 Croatian junior championships prompted comparisons with former Wimbledon champion Sharapova.
Kyrgios slur: Donna Vekic watches Stan Wawrinka in action at Wimbledon.Credit: Getty Images
Both players have a hard, flat-hitting style. And they're both blonde, which matters more than it should when promoting women tennis players.
But Vekic has repeatedly dismissed comparisons with the Russian player, preferring to chart her own path on court.
"It doesn't annoy me. It's a compliment but I want to be Donna Vekic, not the next Maria Sharapova, or the next Caroline Wozniacki, even though I look like them a little bit,'" she said in 2013, according to the Daily Mail .
"The game is becoming more physical, so you don't get many youngsters any more - just us special ones, I suppose."
Caught in the middle: Thanasi Kokkinakis and Donna Vekic at the 2014 Australian Open.Credit: Getty Images
Vekic, who turned 19 in June, has been reportedly in a relationship with world No. 5 Wawrinka since April, after he separated from his wife.
Vekic was photographed cheering the 30-year-old French and Australian Open champion at this year's Wimbledon tournament, and has tweeted about him. Neither party has confirmed they are in a relationship.
'To stoop so low is not only unacceptable but also beyond belief': Stan Wawrinka blasted Nick Kyrgios for the sledge after their recent match.Credit: AP
Her relationship with Australian player Thanasi Kokkinakis has also been the subject of speculation. The pair played together during the 2014 Australian Open mixed doubles and have reportedly been friends for at least two years.
She lives in Monte Carlo and is active on social media, regularly posting on Instagram photographs of her birthday celebrations and holidays.
Brouhaha: Nick Kyrgios has not apologised to Wawrinka's liking.Credit: Getty Images
Vekic's promising career started at the age of six, when she started playing tennis after an ankle injury stopped her from performing gymnastics.
At age nine, she followed in the path of Sharapova by training at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida. She joined the WTA Tour as a 16-year-old in 2012, won her first title at the Malaysian Open in 2014 and advanced to the third round of the French Open this year. Her career prize money is $815,152.
Her idol is reportedly 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert.
"She's an inspiration and one of my favourite players ever," Vekic once said. "I really look up to her. I see her at some tournaments now, which is great. If I can achieve anything near what she has that would be amazing.
β"I need to get a lot stronger physically and improve my movement a little bit. I've always been strong mentally. That is one of the biggest assets of my game, being able to come back from tough situations. But there's still a bit of improvement needed there, too."
Vekic was born on June 28, 1996, βin the city of Osijek, in eastern Croatia. She comes from a sporty family, describing her grandfather as a gifted archer and her mother Brankica as a strong athlete in the 100- and 400-metre events.
The young Croatian started her sporting life as a gymnast, before injuring her ankle. Searching for another sport to play, the active six-year-old girl asked her father to take her to tennis practice.
"It was love at first sight," according to her website. "With her leg hurt and regardless of the fact that the racket [sic] was just a bit shorter than herself, and she was only six years old, she said to her parents: 'Mum, mum! Dad, dad! This is it!' "
Her parents were sufficiently impressed to pay for another 20 lessons for their daughter. And she's more than repaid their commitment since.